The Founder's Circle
by ericwinter
Summary: Darkness rises, but the founder's were clever, and left a way to defend their school. Now, four young children have become the heirs to unimaginable power and knowledge just as they start their education, but a darkness lurks in Hogwarts, and they must discover their fate if they are to defend their school. I own nothing.
1. Prologue: The Circle Opens

**Yello peoples, and welcome to my Harry Potter and The Founder's Circle. So, I just wanted to welcome you to this story, and say I hope you like it enough to give it a chance. This is just the prologue, so it might be a tiny bit confusing, but I will be trying to get the first full chapter out shortly. For now, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.**

"Do you think he'll come?" Three people were waiting in what resembled a cozy study, despite being located underground. The speaker, a broad-shouldered man with messy red hair, was sitting in the cushioned chair located close to the fireplace, where a roaring blaze was glowing. He had directed his question towards one of his companions, a young looking woman with honey blonde hair who was also sitting in an armchair, causing her previously innocent looking face to sour slightly.

"You know what he's like, same as the rest of his kind. He's just making us wait for him." The red haired man sighed, leaning back in his chair as he glanced at his last companion, a woman with royal blue hair, almost black, and crescent glasses perched on her nose as she flicked through one of the massive tomes he had long since come to associate her with while resting on what would normally be a window seat if they were above ground. Clearing his throat to attract her attention, the man directed his next question towards her.

"Do you think, maybe when this is all done, we might be able to share a drink? All four of us, I mean." The woman glanced up from her book and fixed her gaze upon him for a second, before returning to her book and answering without even looking at him.

"Perhaps. From what I've been able to find in my research, we will forget a great deal of what has happened, or at least how and why. However, nothing has suggested that our attitudes towards each other will change. Then again, nothing suggests it won't." The red haired man leaned forward, grinning despite the fact that she couldn't see him.

"Yes, but he won't have a reason to avoid us anymore. Who knows, maybe we could actually be friends."

"You can try, but I won't be held responsible for the consequences." Most people would have jumped at the sudden appearance of the new voice and its owner, but these three were well used to him tendency to appear out of nowhere. The gaze of the raven haired lady barely flickered away from her reading, the blonde glanced away slightly as if embarrassed, and the red head, tilted his head towards the newcomer, appraising him. He had long, silver hair bond in a loose ponytail that waved down his back as he stalked further into the room that was their sanctum. His movements were like flowing silk, silent and graceful as a cat… or a serpent. He was the only one of the four not dressed in robes, instead wearing long silver slacks and a silver dress shirt, with the only color being a green tie draped over his lean but well muscled chest. Coming to a stop in front of the redhead, who had stood as if to greet him, the two men faced each other in stark contrast. The younger red-head was cloaked in billowing red robes, edged in gold. He also stood much taller than his older counterpart by at least a foot. Everywhere the silver man was lean and compact, like a coiled spring, the other was broad and solid, but not grotesquely so. They were both well built, and both had long had women mooning over them, but each in their own different ways. As they stood only a few inches apart and staring at each other with a silent challenge in each of their eyes, the two other inhabitants of the room watched just as silently, even the bluenette woman seeming to sense the tension and closing her book with a heavy thud. The silver haired man was the first to break the silence, as well as the stare, looking away to glance over the room and its other occupants, now with a somewhat bored look in his eyes.

"Let's just get this done. I have better things to do." Nodding, the red haired man moved swiftly to a chest sitting in the corner, kneeling down to open it and pulling a small round object out of its spot, still wrapped in a protective cloth. As soon as he touched it even through the cloth, a light red glow started to emanate from the object, but he paid it no mind. Rising, he carried it to a small table located in the center of the room, where the other three had already gathered. It was a small and simple thing, the only feature of which you could glean with a glance being the small, smooth indentation in the center, where the red haired man placed his load, the object fitting perfectly as he pulled the cloth off to reveal a small black orb, the glow having died the moment the red haired man released it from his grasp. However, if one were to take a closer look at the table, they would have noticed four traces of hands, faded with age but still visible, each being marked in a different color, those being red, gold, blue and silver, to match the hair of each person now standing before it. The four people glanced around at each other, but didn't speak, instead giving a unanimous nod and laying their hands on the proper tracings as they had too many times in the past to count. This time was different, however. They had used the table and stone for many reasons, but this would be the last, and most important. As each focused on their purpose, energy started to seep out of them, so much that it became visible in the air as it swirled around them. From each came the same color as both their hair and the tracings their hands now covered, the different magics spinning and weaving together as they met. More and more magical energy they pushed out, until the air was thick and heavy with each of their presences, the rest of the room having been blotted out from sight by the myriad of mixing colors. Still they pushed, pumping even more magic out as the ground, walls, ceiling, and even the very air began to shake with their combined power. Anywhere else, they would have likely destroyed their surroundings, bringing the many tons of stone and brick and mortar down on their own heads. Not this place, however. It had been built for this purpose, built to hold these particular magics inside, and it did its job well, to the point where anyone standing right outside the door would barely notice a tremor. After several long minutes of this process, each of the four were nearing the end of their considerable reserves. Grunting in unison, they pushed out the final vestiges of the magic they had been granted long ago and were now giving back, before finally collapsing onto the table, exhausted. Still, they fought to keep their eyes open, each determined to see the process through, watching as all the magic energy they had just expended was drawn into the orb, filling it until every last scrap had been gathered and it glowed with an undefinable color, The sheer amount of power contained vibrating it as it floated into the air and started to spin. Around and around it went, growing brighter and faster with each turn until, finally, it stopped, just as four streaks of color flew out of it, passing through the walls and speeding on towards their destination, unknown to any but the stone and the magic themselves, leaving the room and the stone empty and seemingly devoid of color. Finally, their tasks completed, the four still laying on the table allowed sleep to take them, secure in the knowledge that wherever their magic was going, it would be in good hands.

Far away, each in separate locations, four children suddenly woke with a shared gasp.


	2. Chapter 1: The Hogwarts express

**Hello, and welcome to- Holy shit I've got followers! No, seriously, this story already has like twice as many followers as my fire emblem story, and that's on chapter ten! What the hell!**

 **Anyway,s welcome to the first real chapter of The Founder's Circle. just a couple things I wanted to mention before letting you get on with the story. First, there will be pairings, but that will wait until the later books, probably the fifth at least. Second, yes the main four characters- Draco, Harry, Luna, and Susan-will not only be changing looks, but will also be anywhere from somewhat to quite OOC. This is due to the nature of the story, which for the sake of spoilers I won't be outlining here, but should be very easy to figure out. Just trust me in that there is a reason, and I'm not just saying so because it's easier on me. an example of one of those major changes will actually be Luna becoming lucid and understandable, albeit slowly. Also, I will try to keep the adult language to a minimum during the first few books-a few adults might say some words- but later on there will be a decent amount of that as well as violence. Just so you are all forewarned. Also, i apologize for any mishaps in timeline or similar things, but i don't actually have access to the original books at the moment, so if you see anything, just blame it on AU. That works better for everyone. And yes, I know Draco was supposed to have Crabbe and Goyle with him. That one was done on purpose.**

 **Alright, I think that wraps everything up for now, so I'm just going to let you all enjoy. Read, relax, and Review!**

Harry Potter stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express, trying to figure out what the hell was happening to him. His eyes were unseeing as he struggled with the problem in his mind, mulling over and over the last twenty four hours.

He had gone to sleep the night before after making sure everything was ready for his first trip to Hogwarts, the magical school he had been accepted into, and he literally meant magical. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had accepted him, a scrawny eleven year old boy with constantly broken glasses and messy black hair with open arms. Harry had barely believed it when the giant Hagrid had kicked in the door of the rickety cabin Harry's uncle had dragged them to, trying to avoid the storm of acceptance letters the school had been sending in the hopes of one getting through. Harry had been even more sceptical when said giant gave him the information that Harry's aunt and uncle had hidden from him for the last decade, that he was a wizard, just like his mum and dad. It had taken a trip to the magical Diagon Alley to fully convince him that magic was real, and actually holding a wand and feeling it's magic to further prove that he himself belonged in that world.

Because of this, he had been excited to go, and the night before he was set to leave for school, he had been packed long before night had fallen. Eventually, after pacing and all the many different spells he might learn at school that he would be able to learn and threaten Dudley with when he came back, he finally managed to fall asleep around nine, convincing his brain that he would need all the sleep he could get to fully appreciate the next was a good thing too, because he hadn't slept well that night.

It had been sometime around midnight when it happened. Harry had been shocked awake, breathing heavily and with a searing pain right over his heart. That was strange, though not as much as it would be for anybody else. Harry had woken up before and not known why, covered in sweat, but normally it was the small, lightning shaped scar on his forehead that hurt, not his heart. After a few seconds to get his bearings, he had reached up to rub the burning spot, but the pain had already started to subside, and he couldn't feel anything through the shirt he had fallen asleep in, so he just shook his head and rolled over in bed, struggling to go back to sleep. Eventually he managed it, but it had been fitful, coming in short bursts as his dreams were filled with strange images and scenes, people and voices he didn't recognize appearing in them.

When Harry had been woken up early by the alarm he had set before, he had expected to be groggy and sleepy, a side effect of the restless night. He had been surprised therefore, when instead of of acting like a zombie, he had instead jumped right out of bed, a strange buzzing energy permeating his body. He had dressed quickly, excitement flooding through his veins as he remembered the today, finally, he would be escaping the Dursley's, his hated aunt, uncle, and cousin. He would have quickly finished and bounded down the stairs, so great was his joy at the thought of not having to see them for at least an entire school term, when he caught sight of his bare chest in the mirror and froze. There, right over his heart where his skin had burned the night before, was a crimson red tattoo of a lion, ornate and detailed as if a master artist had carved it into his flesh. The color was so vivid that it almost seemed to glow slightly, standing out against the pale canvas of his skin.

Harry had been freaked out, obviously, but barely had a few seconds to look at it before his Aunt Petunia had started banging on his door, calling in her harpy like voice to hurry up before they were late, causing him to quickly pull the shirt in his hands on, hiding his new marking from view. The tattoo-like mark had been on his mind for the entire car trip to London, where he was supposed to go to King's Cross station to board the train to school. Even when he had gotten there, and failed to find the platform 9 ¾ it had boiled in the back of his mind. That stopped, however, when he finally learned from the family of friendly redheads he had met how to get through the magic barrier, and took his first full steps into his new world, and his mind practically exploded.

The platform was very similar to Diagon Alley, the only other part of the magic world Harry had ever been to, and at the same time it was completely different. The latter part, however, harry had started to suspect was more to do with him than the places themselves. Platform 9 ¾ was bustling with wizards in their strange robes and pointed hats, or even a few muggle clothes for the more sensible ones, just like the Alley had been. Even the noise, people calling out goodbyes to family members being left behind, or greetings to their friends from school, was similar, even if they used different words from the market advertizing and bartering of Diagon Alley. The real differences, however, came not from sight and sound, but from other sense, ones Harry hadn't even known he had.

The moment Harry stepped through the barrier onto platform 9 ¾ he was assaulted by… sensations. All around him he could feel what he could only assume was magical energy, permeating the air and shining from people's bodies. Each person was a distinct… color, almost, or at least that was how it felt. He could almost see the auras, like they were hanging just outside of the visible spectrum. As he had taken a few more steps into the haze, formed both by the smoke coming off the train and the excess energy wafting off each person and mixing in the air, he blinked, trying to make sense of what he was feeling and practically seeing. He hadn't experienced anything like this at Diagon Alley, and it had been even more packed with magic folk. He did, however, remember feeling something similar while he had been talking to the redhead family, but had put it out of his mind, attributing the sensation to distraction, excitement, and possibly the weariness he had been waiting to strike him finally catching up from the bad night. He hadn't felt any other symptoms, but that didn't stop him from assuming. Now, though, Harry didn't know what to think.

Wandering along as his brain tried to process the sudden influx of information from his new senses, Harry hadn't even paid attention to what he was doing, giving little mind to the short conversation he had with the redhead twins that helped him put his trunk in the train, instead examining their auras, marveling at how similar they were, a sort of cheerful yellow. Even now, looking out the window, he could see them talking animatedly to their family about something, but Harry ignored them. Instead, he returned his focus to his memories, this time just a few minutes before, when he had stepped on the train for the first time, having finally worked through enough of his confusion to realize he should probably find a seat before the train left without him.

Stepping onto the Hogwarts Express was yet another surprise, as all the auras and magic fell away, except for a very few of the brightest that Harry could still feel shining in the distance. Well, they hadn't so much disappeared as been blotted out by a new energy, one that shocked him the second he felt it.

The train itself was practically throbbing with magic, power flowing through it and sparking awe in Harry as he felt it. He was surprised the vehicle wasn't vibrating from the sheer magical power that had been stuffed into it, the many enchantments cast on it weaving through each other to form a tight web of power and protection, intimidating in its intricacy. He could barely feel anything through its walls, except those few shining sources of magic that still seemed bright even across the power coursing through the train. He would probably need to investigate those at some point, if only out of sheer curiosity as to who could be so powerful to outshine even those fully trained and mature adult wizard and witches outside on the platform.

And that brought him back to where he was now, sitting in one of the empty compartments he had found, trying to work out what had changed over the summer after he had last seen a magical being, namely the giant Hagrid. Harry hadn't had this weird sense back then, and he was still trying to figure out what the hell was with his chest. He certainly didn't remember getting a tattoo, and he didn't think he would have gotten a lion even if he had. Not to mention that he was way too young for that kind of thing to be legal. He had already tried looking down his shirt at it to make sure the thing was still there, and sure enough it was, in all its crimson glory, even though he couldn't really get a good look at it.

"Erm, is it alright if I join you? Everywhere else is taken." A somewhat cautious voice broke into Harry's thoughts, and he looked away from the window to see the youngest boy from that redhead family standing in the entrance to the compartment, holding the door as if he were ready to close it and walk away if he were rejected. Harry glanced back to the window to confirm that he wasn't mistaking the boy's identity and he had in fact missed the family separating, then turned back to the boy and tried to put on the most convincing smile he could, finally forcing all his troubling thoughts to the back of his mind. It wasn't like he was getting anywhere with them anyways.

"Er, sure. There's plenty of space, I guess." The boy seemed to take that as answer enough, sliding into the nearest seat and letting the door close itself. They sat like that for a few moments, staring at each other awkwardly as they each tried to figure out what to say, before the redhead seemed to work up enough courage to introduce himself.

"Ron. Ron Weasley." he stuck his hand out, and Harry took it tentatively, responding in kind.

"Harry Potter." Harry almost jumped in surprise as Ron gasped, his eyes widening in surprise.

"So Fred and George were right? 'Course, they usually are, but I can never tell when they're just pulling one over on us." Shocked by this sudden turn of events, Harry fought the urge to turn away, dropping his hand from the handshake Ron was still gripping it in.

"Er, what are you going on about, again?" Ron's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the question, as if he couldn't believe Harry didn't know what he was talking about.

"That you're Harry Potter of course! Blimey I can hardly believe I'm sitting in the same compartment as the Boy Who Lived. I mean, you even defeated Voldemort, and you were just a baby!" This time Harry did look away, fighting the slight blush that was starting to creep up his cheeks.

"Oh, right. That." Ron scoffed.

"What do you mean, that? Blimey mate, you're famous! Don't tell me you didn't know?" Harry shook his head, bringing a disappointed look to Ron's face.

"Not until a this summer, and it didn't seem all that important. I didn't even know I was a wizard until then."

"How could you not know?" Harry shrugged, not quite sure why Ron was so surprised.

"I was raised by my- muggles from my mom's side of the family. They never told me." The conversation continued on in this vein for several hours as Ron questioned Harry on his life with the muggles and explained all sorts of details about the wizarding world, especially focusing on Quidditch, the wizard sport Harry remembered Hagrid mentioning when they had been in Diagon Alley. Harry was so caught up in the conversation that it was only when they paused for lunch after buying ridiculous amounts of sweets off the food cart that he noticed he could sense Ron's aura. It was fairly weak, being a dim but solid orange glow, so alone he had barely even noticed. As he thought back, Harry realized that none of the other weasley's had very strong auras. It didn't really care about that, but it did bring to mind the question as to how he was able to sense it on the train. That question was answered, however, when he remembered the periwinkle blue of the trolley lady's magic, and he realized that while he couldn't sense most people through the walls, if there wasn't any part of the train in the way, the interference disappeared. At least, he thought that was how it worked. It made sense, anyways.

"So, who'd you get?" Harry looked up from the chocolate frog- actually living!- he had been eating to give Ron a curious look. "The card, who'd you get? I'm still missing a few." Harry looked back at the container to realize that there was indeed aa card, and he carefully pried it out. There was a picture of an old man in blue robes, with twinkling blue eyes and silver hair and a beard. Harry was about to ask who it was when the man surprised him by _winking_ and walking out of the portrait.

"He moved!" Harry cried in surprise, and Ron threw him a confused look.

"'Course he did. Can't expect him to stick around all day, can you? Come on, turn it over, name's on the back." Harry hesitated for a moment, but then he complied. Honestly, with all the other crap he had seen and felt today, a moving picture wasn't even close to unbelievable. Turning the card over, Harry scanned the back, reading it out loud.

"Albus Dumbledore, order of Merlin first class. Famed for discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood, as well as his work in alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel."When Harry looked up to see if any of that meant anything to Ron, he was greeted with a disappointed face.

"Oh, I've already got about five of him. You should keep him, start your own collection."After that, they continued working their way through the pile of food and sweets Harry had somehow managed to buy, continuing their conversation sporadically as they ate. They were about halfway through, already slowing down considerably, when the compartment door slid open again drawing both their gazes up in curiosity.

"I heard Harry Potter was in this compartment. That'd be you then?" The boy who had walked in instantly captured both their attentions, the almost regal air he stood with attracting their sight as if they were moths to a flame. His hair was pure blonde, almost white, and his mouth was curled into a disinterested scowl, despite the fact that he was the one initiating the contact. His eyes were a bright, venomous green, and they showed much more interest than the rest of his face as they roamed all over the compartment, taking in every detail as he nodded at Harry. What harry found more interesting than the boy's eyes or face, however, was his magic.

The boy's aura was strange, almost like there were two different magics bound up in each other. Silver and green wound together, but remained separate strands, no matter how tightly bound they were. Even in his core it was like someone had taken two different ropes and tied them together. They were inextricably tied, but also clearly separate. It was confusing but mesmerizing at the same time. The really amazing thing was, it was one of those few auras Harry had noticed through the enchantments of the train, although it wa much more obvious and brighter without the interference, leaving him almost in awe at just how bright it was. Whoever this boy was, he was very powerful.

"How do you know I'm not Harry Potter?" Harry was drawn out of his examination of the new boy and his aura to stare at Ron, who was looking almost petulant at being other kid, too, turned to give him a once over before waving dismissively at him.

"No, not likely. Red hair, too many freckles. If you're not a Weasley, I've been going in the wrong bathrooms all my life." Ron grew red at that comment, even though it wasn't actually insulting. From where Harry was standing-or sitting- it was actually pretty accurate. Still though, harry could've sworn that voice was familiar. _Where… oh, right._ The boy was the same one from Diagon Alley. Strange though, he seemed somewhat different for some reason. Almost like he was less… judging of everything he saw. Maybe they could be friends after all.

"It's all right Ron." The redhead gave him a surprised look, but harry ignored it as he reached out to shake the other boy's hand, giving him a small, encouraging smile. "I'm Harry. You?" The boy took it gingerly, as if he was unsure whether he should.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He seemed to be waiting for something, but Harry had no idea what, so he just kept shaking until Draco finally dropped the grip. They stood there awkwardly for a few moments, before Draco glanced around and sighed. "Well, I guess I should get back before those two gorilla's look up from stuffing their faces long enough to notice I'm gone. It was… a pleasure meeting you, Harry." he turned to go, before pausing for a moment and inclining his head towards Ron. "Weasley." Then he was gone, and they both stared at the spot he had vacated for a second, before Ron spoke up.

"I don't like him." Harry just rolled his eyes and sat back down, opening another a while they managed to restart the conversation, but it was slower, Harry still mulling over the strangeness of Draco's aura. After a while though, the talk turned towards spells, and what sort of magic they might learn, and his attention returned to the conversation. Ron had just started trying to do a spell that his brothers had shown him to turn his rat yellow, when the door opened again. Harry sighed as he turned back to see who it was this time, already growing weary of the interruptions.

This time, a young girl was standing in the doorway, with curly brown hair and a bit of an overbite, already dressed in the robes that made up their school uniform. She was squinting around the compartment as if she were looking for something, and Harry had to clear his throat to get her attention. She looked up, finally noticing him, and she smiled, showing him a full mouth of very white teeth.

"Hello. I was wondering if you've seen a toad recently? Neville's lost his."Harry shook his head.

"Nope, no toad. Sorry." The girl looked disappointed for a second, but then seemed to shake it off, gathering herself with a deep breath. She started to leave, but then glanced back at Harry, pausing.

"Why have you got broken glasses?" Harry was confused for a moment by the question, but then he remembered the glasses on his face, barely held together by scotch tape. He'd barely even thought of them that day, despite the fact that they were stubbornly clouded, and refused to change that fact no matter how hard he struggled to clean them. Still, he didn't understand why this strange girl would care whether they were broken or not.

"Er, my cousin broken them?" Her mouth curled downwards in a frown, and her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, but why haven't you fixed them?"

"Fixed them?" The girl sighed exasperatedly and reached up to knead her forehead.

"Yes, fixed them. You know, with magic?"Harry, not expecting this, tried to open his mouth to argue, but then realized he couldn't really, instead blushing and looking away.

"I… haven't tried any yet." The girl then got a superior smirk on her face as she stretched out her hand, gesturing for the glasses.

"Here, i'll show you." Harry hesitantly handed them over, unsure as to what the girl would do. He was therefore somewhat surprised when she drew her wand out of her robes and waved it over the pair of glasses, simply saying "Reparo". There was a small spark, and he watched in awe as the various breaks and cracks repaired themselves. Carefully, he reached out to take them back, the girl relinquishing them without a fight. Inspecting his newly repaired glasses, Harry couldn't find a single thing wrong with them. They were spotless, and as good as new. Putting them back on, however, he noticed something strange, and whipped them off quickly. He repeated this several times as he compared, finally coming to a startling conclusion. He could see better without his glasses! In fact, it seemed that his vision was almost as good as it had been before when he wore them. What was going on with his body? Still, he doubted either of the two people in the cart would care or believe him if he shouted out that he could see, and instead replaced them on his face, sliding them down his nose so he could see past them and revel in his new vision, nodding and thanking the girl.

"Oh, you're welcome. You do have pretty eyes. Gold is such an exotic color." The comment confused Harry, and he frowned.

"What do you mean, gold? My eyes are green, like my mother's, or so I've been told."The girl's brow wrinkled, and she shook her head.

"No they're not, they're gold. Here, look." She pulled out a hand mirror and handed it to him. Sure enough, his eyes were a tawny gold, almost like an eagle's Harry saw them he nearly dropped the mirror in shock, just barely catching it in handing the item back to the girl, he pinched his brow, trying to think through the sudden annoyance and confusion that was overwhelming him. Why were all these things happening to him? Ron and the girl watched him worriedly, probably not realizing that he really wasn't all that surprised by this point. This day had been one random shock after another, and a change in eye color wasn't even the biggest. Sitting back down, he waved away their concerns, looking out the window as he answered with the only thing that could come to mind.

"Nah, don't worry. If anything, it's probably just something to do with all of this." he gestured at the train and the robes the girl was wearing, indicating that he was talking about the wizarding world as a whole. The girl frowned as if she wanted to say something, but Ron interrupted her, speaking in a dubious tone.

"I've never heard of a wizard's eyes changing just because he started going to school." Harry just laughed, amused as he remembered another magical thing about him that was unheard of. Boy, he really was a miracle child.

"Yeah, I bet you've never heard of someone surviving a killing curse either, huh?" Ron looked shocked at his response, but the girl just looked between them, confused.

"What are you talking about?" Harry waved the question away dismissively, looking out the window to watch the landscape rolling by. He didn't really feel like going into the whole celebrity thing right now.

"Nothing. Don't you have a toad to find?" the girl jumped in surprise, and glanced at the door, as if she had forgotten all about her objective.

"Oh, right! I've got to go!" She started to rush out, but paused at the door just before exiting. "Oh, and you should probably get changed. The conductor mentioned that we would be there soon"With that parting comment, she ran off, seemingly in a hurry to find the missing two boys she left behind gave each other questioning looks, but then just shrugged and set about following her advice. As the sun set, they felt the train start to slow down, albeit slowly, and the compartment was quickly cleaned as the boys set about making sure everything was ready to go, preparing for their first foray into their new school. It was completely dark by the time the train finally slid to a screeching halt, and they joined the throng of students making their way off the train. Just as Harry was about to step off, however, he paused. Looking back he silently said goodbye to his old life, before taking that final step into his new one, and the wizarding world.


	3. Chapter Two: The Sorting

**Oh, my, goooooooooods. I'm warning you now, this is a long-ass chapter. like, 7500 words long. Seriously, that's not normal.**

 **Anyways, weary moaning aside, I am proud to present Chapter Two: The Sorting. I technically could have just tossed up the first third of this as its own 2500 word chapter, but there wasn't really much action, with it really just being a description of Hogwarts through the eyes of the four main characters, Draco, Luna, Susan, and Harry, who will now be collectively referred to as The Circle (You'll see why later). I only actually showed Harry's perspective, but you can assume that the others had fairly similar experiences as you read it.**

 **So, a couple of things, as well as a question before I let you get to it. Firstly, I wasn't sure if Luna was supposed to be in Harry's year or if she was actually in Ginny's. If she was a year younger, I apologize, and you can blame it on the AU. Also, I wasn't really sure about Susan's hair color. Again, if I got it wrong, blame it on the AU. basically, just blame everything that's different on the AU. It'll help you retain your sanity.**

 **So, the question. I am honestly unsure whether I want Dumbledore to be an evil bastard in this story, or just a general unobservant idiot like he actually was in the books, so I figured I'd ask what you guys thought. Sure, it'd would be useful to make him a prick and have The Circle have to deal with him at some point, but I could just as easily come up with another enemy and just make him meddle a bit, causing small amounts of trouble as he does stupid things. Anyways, tell me what you think.**

 **That's all for now, i suppose, so read, review, and relax! Enjoy!**

The air was heavy with magic energy as Harry stepped off the train, wrapping around him like a thick blanket. It wasn't suffocating however, instead giving off a sense of familiarity that put a warm feeling in his stomach as he looked around the mostly dark platform. It felt like he had come home, and not just because he was finally escaping the Dursleys. The platform itself wasn't very big, more like a stone walkway that just happened to run along the tracks. There were a few lanterns that warded off the darkness a bit, but only one was of any size to be effective, and it appeared to be floating towards them, a great shadow following behind. As it drew closer though, Harry heard a great, rumbling voice call out, bringing a smile to his face.

"Firs' years with me! 'Urry it up, now." Harry started to move forwards, bringing into view a familiar face, or rather beard, as he could barely see beyond the great forest of facial hair that adorned the visage of the man Harry would always be thankful to for introducing him to the wizarding world.

"Alright there, Harry?" Hagrid, as he insisted on being called, somehow noticed Harry in the sea of young students swarming around his impressive girth, calling out a greeting. Harry smiled in response, too happy to see another familiar face, especially one that had been part of some of his happiest memories.

"Excellent, Hagrid." And he was. Despite the numerous shocks he had endured that day, he was filled with warmth and happiness, as well as a sense of immense familiarity, like coming home after a long trip away. He didn't know why,but there was just something about the magic and sights around him that was comforting. Hagrid gave a nod in response before turning, and calling for any last stragglers among the ranks of the first years, strode away into the night, the swarm of students following him like ducklings following their mother toward the glittering lights in the distance. Harry wasn't paying much attention to where they were going, distracted as he was by relishing in the sensations of the magic around him, but he did know exactly when they finally crossed onto the school grounds proper, giving him an even worse shock than any of the ones he had previously experienced.

As they fully entered Hogwarts, Harry's newfound senses expanded, as did the enchantments he was already in danger of losing himself in. The enchantments protecting the school grounds were vast and intricate, strands of extremely powerful magic weaving webs the scale and complexity of which his eleven year old mind couldn't truly comprehend. He could feel it, coursing through the large grounds with such power that the previously intimidating enchantments of the Hogwarts Express was like an ant next to a giant. It was breathtaking and exhilarating all at once as he explored the vast landscape that had opened up before him with his mind, the magic seeming to shiver in welcome as he hesitantly reached out, in what seemed like welcome… and excitement. He could feel the lights of the students around him, not dimmed as they had been on the train, but brightened, like stars flickering in the night sky.

As he looked around at the people they represented with his actual eyes, Harry was shocked to to find that only of few shared the looks of awe that he was certain he was wearing. It was as if no one else could sense what he was sensing. He could only see three that shared his look, staring around at the empty air as if marveling at the energy filling it. The blonde haired boy, Draco was one, and the others were two girls, one a shy looking brunette, and the other with silvery hair that seemed to reflect the moonlight. Harry wondered why it seemed the other students lacked their senses, and if that truly was the case, why he had them. He had a sneaking suspicion that it might have something to do with the strange tattoo he had discovered that morning, as well as the sudden change of color in his eyes that he had learned of only recently, but he put those questions out of his mind as Hagrid led to a small fleet of boats waiting on the edge of a vast lake.

Each of the boats seemed to be made for six, but Harry immediately beelined for the one Hagrid had taken, resulting in him only having to share with three other students. One was Ron, the boy he had shared a compartment with, whom Harry had failed to notice following him previously. The others consisted of another familiar face, the bushy haired girl that had been searching for a toad on the train, as well as a very rotund boy who Harry suspected was Neville, the owner of said toad. If that was the case, Harry wasn't surprised at all that he would need someone else to help him find his pet. The poor boy looked like he was about to faint from nervousness.

Harry didn't pay much attention to the conversation between the other three, to busy staring out over the lake and continuing to marvel at the enchantments weaving through the grounds. The lake itself was a beautiful sight, perfectly smooth even as their little boats glided across its surface, the water refusing to be disturbed. It was as black as pure darkness, and Harry figured it must extremely deep, not to mention wide. Growing curious, he reached out with his new senses, trying to see what he could discover beneath the surface, but all he could feel was a deep, pervading sense of emptiness as something seemed to push him back. Whatever was down there, it didn't want to be found.

After awhile of sailing, his senses seemed to fade into the background of his mind, becoming less noticeable as he grew used to the feeling of the magic all around him. It didn't disappear completely, but he was no longer forced to give it his full attention. The timing of this was perfect, however, as they rounded an overhang covered in ivy to allow a different, and yet still breathtaking sight he likely would not have been able to fully appreciate otherwise.

Rising up into the sky before them, with soaring towers that reached up towards the stars and the dark shapes of hunching gargoyles, was an ancient stone castle, proud and intimidating in its size. The lights they had seen glittering in the distance before became windows, glowing merrily with candles and firelight. As their boats drew up along side the docks, Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from the knew, staring up at the imposing walls and towers, that he was finally home.

After all the first years had disembarked, Hagrid guided them up a large set of stone stairs, leading to a massive wooden door that formed the entry to the castle. This door was old, worn by the centuries, and covered in carvings and runes. Harry couldn't fully make out what they depicted, but the general theme seemed to be of people battling what looked like various magical beings, although he couldn't identify any in particular. The carvings were both beautiful and terrifying, but his attention was drawn to four figures in particular, each located at one of the corners, seeming to glow slightly. Harry drew as close as he could while Hagrid rapped on the door with his heavy fists three times, creating a deep booming sound that echoed in the space behind the door. From his new distance, Harry could see that the four glowing figures were people, two men and two women. He couldn't see many details, but their eyes all seemed to be looking at him, their smiles started to wonder who the four were, but before he could get far, the door opened and his thoughts were cut off in a sudden gasp as the tide of eager children carried him inside.

Here, the enchantments were at their strongest. The magic seemed to weigh down upon harry, threatening to force him to his knees as they washed over him in the first few seconds. As he looked around, his face feeling like it would permanently be frozen in a look of awe, Harry nearly froze at the sight. For the first time, he actually _saw_ the magic, the strands of energy so thick and dense that they finally peeked into the visible spectrum, forming archaic swirls and patterns as they climbed the walls and stretched across the roof. A few even outlined the runes and carvings that seemed to flow from the door, covering nearly every inch of the stones, although where before there had been many more actual pictures than runes, the ancient symbols that seemed to radiate power now far outnumbered the images. It was beautiful, but yet again, few others seemed to even notice them, instead focusing on the figure of the woman who had opened the door for them.

She was draped in emerald green robes, a stern look on her face as her eyes swept the crowd in front of her. She was middle-aged, and her face was creased with frown lines, as if she was constantly disappointed. They had stopped in front of a door that was even larger than the first one, rising up behind her imperiously, although she was already plenty intimidating, or at least, Harry thought she was.

"I am Professor Mcgonagall. Welcome to Hogwarts." Harry shivered in excitement at those words, but listened closely as Mcgonagall continued. "The welcoming feast will begin shortly, but first, all of you first years must be sorted into your Houses before you can join the older students in the Great Hall." Ah, yes, the Houses. Harry remembered Draco talking about them in Diagon Alley, and he had talked a bit with Ron about which ones they thought they would end up in. Harry thought Gryffindor sounded like the best, but he didn't know all that much about each of them, anyways. "During your time here, your House will be like your family. You will eat, sleep, and attend classes with your house. I expect you all to do your best to contribute to your house, no matter which one you are placed in. Now, you shall wait here while I inform the headmaster of your arrival and prepare for the Sorting. I'd suggest you all take this time to… smarten yourselves up." She swept her gaze over the assembled students one last time like she was looking for troublemakers, and Harry, grabbed by a sudden impulse and unable to resist put a wide grin on his face, waving goodbye. Mcgonagall's eyes narrowed, but she didn't comment as she swept around and slipped through the door. He was still grinning when Ron elbowed his side, causing him to wince.

"Ow! What?"

"Fred and George said Mcgonagall was the strictest teacher ever! Are you trying to annoy her before we even start classes, mate?" Harry chuckled, earning an annoyed look.

"If she's that bad, it must be an accomplishment to get away with a bit of cheek. You should be praising me." Ron shook his head disgustedly, pointedly turning away to start talking to the toad girl from the train, although it didn't seem to be a very friendly conversation. Harry, after glancing around to find something to do while he waited, noticed a girl who seemed to be looking at the runes, peaking his interest. If he remembered correctly, she was the same brunette as before, with the really bright aura. Hers was a bright golden color, warm and friendly. With nothing better to do, harry sidled over to her, startling the girl as he spoke.

"Nervous about your house?" The girl was like a deer caught in the headlights, looking like she couldn't believe that someone was talking to her. Harry hadn't noticed her really getting along with anyone yet, but he had been distracted. Surely she wasn't that lonely? Either way, after a few seconds of waiting for him to go away, the girl seemed to resign herself to the fact that he really was talking to her, and finally responded cautiously.

"Er, yeah, I guess." Harry, hiding his amusement, nodded sagely.

"Everybody probably is. Which do you think you'll be in?" The girl bit her lip, seeming to think for a moment before answering.

"Probably Hufflepuff, but everybody says they're all a load of duffers. What if nobody likes me?" Harry had to hold in a laugh at the worried face she was wearing. It was like a little puppy dog, and he just wanted to reach out and pat her head, telling her not to worry. That would probably have been weird however, so instead he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What, loyal, hardworking, and trustworthy? Sounds pretty good to me. I mean really, what are your other options?" Harry held up a fist, raising a finger as he listed off the houses and their traits while she seemed to blush at his praise for the Hufflepuff house.. "Gryffindor, home of the hard heads. Ravenclaw, for the obsessive bookworms. And Slytherin, where all the tricky gits reside." Each of his unorthodox descriptions earned a giggle, until the last one, which elicited full blown laughter from the young girl, earning a few strange looks from their fellow students. Harry waited patiently as she finished, before continuing with a shrug. "Besides what about your fellow housemates? Like the teacher said, they're like your family. They kind of have to like you, and even if they didn't, it couldn't be because of your house, since they share it." This seemed to satisfy her, but after a couple seconds she turned back to Harry, a curious look on her face.

"What about you? What house do you think you'll be in?" Harry shrugged, not really sure how to answer.

Would it surprise you if I said none?" The girl looked like she was confused by this answer, her brow creasing.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, i've always had decent grades in school, but they weren't amazing or anything. I've never been really clever, and I'm way too lazy to be in Hufflepuff. I have been known to be a bit hard headed, but more out of stupidity than bravery. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they just sent me packing." The brunette didn't seem to like that answer, frowning at Harry's uncaring face.

"I'm sure that won't happen. Besides, if they try, I'll just throw up a fit until they bring you back." Harry chuckled, amused that the thought of a little eleven year old girl forcing grown adults to do what she wanted.

"Sure, that might work, if only out of sheer comedic factor." The girl looked annoyed at his dismissal, but didn't respond, instead settling for glowering at the wall. Unnerved by the sudden silence, Harry glanced around, looking for something else to talk about. His eyes suddenly caught on the runes covering the walls, but just before he could open his mouth to speak, he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a bunch of floating pale figures that could only be ghosts. They were talking about something, but Harry was too distracted by the suddenly fearful look on the brunette's face to care. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her deeper into the crowds, away from the spirits that seemed to have scared her. Pushing her into a small alcove a bit away from the other students, he tried to calm her down.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. They're just ghosts. They can't hurt you if they're already dead." Harry continued to comfort her like this for several moments until the girl finally calmed down, looking at him thankfully.

"Sorry about that, I just don't like ghosts. I've not had good experiences with them." Harry nodded understandably, glancing behind him to make sure no one had noticed the minor panic attack.

"That makes sense. You might have to get used to them though, old castle like this." She nodded, and putting on a determined face, started to push past him. He let her go, but only after checking to make sure all the ghosts were gone. He didn't know why, but he felt protective of her for some reason, even though he didn't know her name. He didn't want her to end up embarrassing herself. That would make it difficult to make new friends, which seemed important to her. Following the girl, Harry barely made it back to the group in time for the door to swing open, revealing the Great Hall.

This hall was massive, even more so than the spacious entry area they had been waiting in. The majority of it was filled with four long tables, stretching down the length of the hall. All the older students lined them, jostling to get a decent look at the new first years. Bright torches lined the walls, which were also covered with the same glowing runes as before, providing bright light for the whole of the hall. The most surprising, and beautiful thing, however, was the ceiling.

Instead of stone, the top of the hall seemed to open out to the night sky, revealing a starry canvas. It was truly realistic, and Harry could almost believe that he truly was standing under the open sky if it hadn't been for his new senses. Instead, he could see the few strands of magic that broke off from the rest of the web, tying together to form a simple, but powerful enchantment that allowed the students to see through the roof and into the sky beyond. Harry couldn't really understand why anyone would need it, but he supposed it was still nice. Maybe people just used it to tell the weather, although he could easily do that by just looking out the window.

The last thing harry noticed as he followed the gaggle of first years down the open area in between the student tables, was the staff table. It was located at the very back of the hall, laid perpendicular to the others and seated at it were several people, although only a few stood out to Harry. One was a very serious looking man with a thin, hooked nose, and a deep emerald green aura, who looked annoyed as he was talked at by another man. This one was wearing a turban, and Harry remembered him as Professor Quirrel, from the Leaky Cauldron when Hagrid took him to get school supplies. Before, he had seemed like a somewhat harmless man, stuttering and terrified. Now, Harry instantly revised that assessment, a feeling of sheer revulsion crawling up him as he looked at the man. Quirrel's aura was twisted and darkened, bent into a horrible shape by the leeching presence that had attached itself to him. It felt like dead leaves and dust, a cold and horrifying sensation Harry could only describe as death and hatred. Whatever the presence was, it was latched onto Quirrel, the majority of it's magic centered around the massive turban hanging off his head. As harry looked at it, a sharp pain dug into his forehead, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut, before it disappeared suddenly, and the sound of a high pitched squeal ringing in his ears. It was all he could do not to plug his ears, praying that the sound would end as he looked away. Thankfully it did, and harry carefully looked back up at the table, making sure to avoid looking at Quirrel. The only other person who really attracted his attention though, was the one sitting directly in the center of the table, An old man wearing silvery blue robes and with long, flowing silver hair and beard. His aura radiated power, a deep azure blue, far vaster than most other residents of the hall. The only ones who were even on a comparable level was the brunette whom Harry had lost in the crowd, the Draco boy, and the silvery haired girl he had noticed before they sailed across the lake. Harry could only assume that this man was Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster. Harry wasn't sure what to make of him. He had a kind, almost grandfatherly smile on his face, but his aura carried an almost cold calculation with it, especially as his eyes passed over Harry in the crowd, causing him to shiver.

Looking away quickly, Harry tried to pay attention to what McGonagall was saying to the assembled students, but was suddenly distracted by a tugging on the sleeves of his robes. Turning, he found the silver haired girl, the one with a bright aura, looking at him with a mild curiosity in her strange bronze colored eyes.

"Are you Harry?" Harry, confused by the sudden question, just nodded. The girl seemed satisfied with that though, and smiled dreamily. "You're glowing, did you know? You should turn it down." She then leaned in and whispered as if they were sharing a secret. "Someone might see you." Harry tried to open his mouth to ask her what she was talking about, but she disappeared into the crowd, leaving only a trace of her deep, royal blue aura in her wake. Strange that he hadn't noticed her color before, but he supposed it had to do with being distracted. In fact, it seemed like he had just come out of a stupor, and he shook his head to clear it. Unable to do anything further, he turned back to the front of the hall, where the brunette girl he had talked to earlier was running up to the stool and hat that had somehow appeared there as McGonagall called out.

"Bones, Susan!"

Susan quickly made her way to the stool holding the sorting hat as her name was called, shaking with nerves. _Calm down, remember what that boy said,_ she told herself, and it helped a little. Still, she was unsure as she picked up the hat, placing it on her head carefully and sitting down, gripping the stool with her hands.

 _"_ _Come, child, don't be shy. I am just a hat. Now, let us have a look in your mind. Yes, yes, loyal and dedicated, good. Not afraid to work either, it's obvious where you belong."_ Susan held her breath, hoping that wherever the hat placed her, she would be able to make friends, and perhaps even that boy too. He had seemed nice, and didn't judge her for her fear of ghosts. _"Perhaps child, and I am sure you will not have any difficulty finding friends… Oh, but what's this?"_ Susan went instantly still as the hat made a surprised noise, and she felt it suddenly dig deeper into her mind. _"Oh, is it that time already? I suppose it has been a while… I wonder, who will your companions in this journey be? Perhaps… yes_ it _has been gaining power recently… it may be time for_ that _."_ Susan had no idea what the hat was going on about, but she got the feeling that it was quickly becoming distracted by whatever it was, so she carefully prodded with her mind, trying to get its attention.

 _"_ _Um, Mr. Hat, can you please get back to sorting me? People are starting to stare."_ Susan felt the hat's attention return to her, and breathed a sigh of relief as it apologized.

 _"_ _Ah, yes, sorry child, I get distracted easily, and please, call me Judix. Now, you have a great destiny ahead of you, and the perfect place for you to face that destiny from would be…_ Hufflepuff! _"_ Susan quickly stood up and placed the hat on the stool, giving it a silent thanks right before she pulled it off her head. Running to the Hufflepuff table, she just barely caught the black haired boy from before out of the corner of her eye, not to mention his glowing crimson aura, clapping vigorously and bringing a smile to her face. Whatever happened, at least she would have one friend.

Dumbledore watched with interest as the young Bones girl joined her new house mates, noting the look on her face as she passed young Harry. He had been long awaiting the day the Potter heir would come to Hogwarts, and he was not disappointed. He seemed to be of at least sound mind, especially if he was already aking friends, so that worry was already out of Dumbledore's mind. The old headmaster had been somewhat worried about the effects his muggle family may have had on the boy after Hagrid informed Dumbledore about the difficulty in delivering the letter, but those worries looked to be needless. Still, he would have to keep an eye on the child. He had a hard road ahead of him, and any mental trauma would only make it more likely for him to fail.

Aside from Harry's mental health, however, the rest of the evening had been quite surprising indeed. To think that not only were there several students in the same year with such tremendous magical strength, but that the young Potter heir was one of them! Miss Bones had been one of them, that being the reason for his interest in her, as was the young Malfoy heir. He would need to keep an eye on that boy in particular, especially as he already sensed dark magic around him. It wasn't unexpected, considering who the boy's father was, but it would not do to allow such a powerful weapon fall into the hands of the Dark side, especially not Voldemort's. As Dumbledore mused over various ways he could attempt to wrest control over Draco away from his father, he noticed the fourth, and final of the children who had caught his eye.

"Lovegood, Luna!" When her name was called, the child who had previously been staring off into the distance slowly made her way up to the stool bearing the sorting , already putting aside all thoughts of the other students watched closely, curious as to where this strange girl would end up.

As Luna placed the strange talking hat on her head, she closed her eyes, idly remembering the discovery she had made just a few minutes earlier as she waited for whatever was supposed to happen. She wasn't at all nervous, having grown perfectly used to strange things in the magical world. Even as she thought this though, that stance was tested by the sudden voice that spoke softly in her head.

 _"_ _Oh dear, you poor thing. I hardly know what to do with you. Your mind has been almost shattered from sheer exposure to unstable magic."_ Luna, recovering quickly from the shock of a voice suddenly appearing in her head, something that was unusual even for her, gave a slight shrug despite not being sure whether the voice could even see it. _"I can see it child, and it brings me great sadness to find a child as broken as you are. How you have retained your sanity, I do not know, except that you must have a very powerful mind to have survived what you have. Sadly, it is so disoriented that I cannot find what I need without digging deeper, and that may result in more damage if I do it wrong. I wish I could avoid it, but I am magically bound to do my utmost to sort any students I come across. If I may, with your permission? It might make it easier if you willingly comply."_ Luna, not sure why she wouldn't, simply shrugged again. She felt more than heard the voice take what must have been the mental equivalent of a deep breath before it plunged into her mind with as much gentleness as it could muster.

 _"_ _Yes, I can see now that you have a truly formidable mind, or you would if it were not for the damage done to it. My creator would have loved to meet you, and examine t herself. Sadly that is not the- wait, I believe I've found something…."_ The voice trailed off before giving an audible gaspin Luna's mind, bringing it back from the pretty runes she had been staring at. _"Oh, thank goodness. You seem to be in luck child, for your mind will heal. Normally, II would warn you of the difficult path your life will be, but perhaps it is better this way. As long as you find those who would stand beside you as equals, I am sure you will do well. For now though, I will place you in your rightful house of_ Ravenclaw! _"_ Luna carefully placed the hat back on the stool and calmly made her way over to her table, thinking. She did not fully understand all of what the hat had said, for it was now clear to her that the voice had belonged to it, but she was almost certain that it had claimed she would heal, although from what exactly Luna didn't know. What she did know, however, was that the last piece of advice it offered sounded awfully familiar, and she was determined to listen if that was the case.

Severus watched the sorting pass by, pretending to be mildly disinterested. He was not nearly as strong a sensor as the headmaster, preferring to work with ingredients rather than people, but even the old potions master could tell that something was not quite right with the first year students. The majority of his concerns, however, focused primarily on the changes in his godson, Draco.

The young boy was wearing a disinterested look on his face as well, although it did look genuine to Severus' trained eye. Only rarely did he ever look up at the students being sorted, twice in fact, both girls. They had been sorted into Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Houses separately, and normally Severus would not understand why his godson was so interested in them as they did not seem to display any of the features that would interest most boys his age. However, it seemed that the girls interested Draco for the same reason the older man was so worried about him.

Draco was giving off far more magical energy then he had the last time Severus had seen him a few weeks ago, not nearly enough time to have grown that much. He couldn't gauge it effectively, but the boy seemed to have far more power than even the average sixth year, perhaps seventh. The girls that he had taken note of were also highly powerful, bringing the question of whether or not it was for the same reason to the mind of Severus. Also strangely was the dark magic clinging to the Malfoy heir, although that could have just been residue from some powerful spell his father had cast near him, so it didn't worry Severus too much. The biggest difference to the boy, however, was all too obvious, and brought far more questions with it.

With magically enhanced sight, Severus could look his godson directly in the eye, and he didn't like what he saw there. The last time Severus had met the child, his irises were the usual Malfoy grey, colored like flint. Now though, they were a deep venomous green, somewhat startling to look. Severus had never heard of a spell that could change a person's eye color, or at least, not just an illusion. He definitely knew that even if there was a spell that could truly and permanently change the eyes, which were deemed by many magic philosophers as the gateway to the soul and as such untouchable, it would definitely not be in the realm of abilities possessed by an eleven year old, even one as powerful as Draco appeared to have become.

Severus was both worried and interested in what had become of his godson, and why he had not been informed of these changes, but for the time being he was forced to put these concerns aside as Draco's name was called by that pathetic head of Gryffindor house McGonagall, forcing him to pay attention and ensure that the Malfoy heir ended up in Slytherin, where he rightfully belonged.

 _"_ _Ah, the third. This is somewhat worrying."_ Draco snorted as the voice invaded his mind, souting nonsense.

 _"_ _Look, hat, we both know where I belong, so just get on with it."_ To his surprise, the hat merely chuckled at his bored tone, as if _amused_ by the Malfoy heir.

 _"_ _Oh my, you are just like him, utterly impertinent and without a care for what others think. Yes, boy, I do know exactly where you belong, but the question is, do you? Do you know where your loyalties lie?"_ Draco's brow wrinkled in confusion as the bloody thing kept rambling. What did it mean, loyalties? Of course he knew that he belonged in Slytherin house! He was a Malfoy, it was tradition! _"Oh, child, you have a lot to learn. Just because something has always been, does not mean it should always be. And your family name matters not when it comes to who and what you are. Blood does not always tell."_ Alright, now Draco was about ready to burn this hat. It sounded almost like it was calling his blood worthless, like it wasn't going to place him in Slytherin. _"And what if I didn't, hmm? What if I were to place you amongst the lions, or maybe even the ravens instead? What would you do then?"_ Draco had to clench his fists tight to keep himself from ripping the hat off his head and beating it to the ground when he heard the mocking tone that the words carried.

 _"_ _Shut up and get on with it, will you? I haven't got all day."_

 _"_ _Oh, on the contrary, I think you've got quite a while. Still I suppose I should move on. You will have a long, hard journey ahead of you, Draco. Just remember that not all your friends will be found where you expect them while you're in_ Slytherin! _"_ The hat shouted the last word to the crowd, and Draco struggled to return his face to its customary smirk as he stood and placed the hat on the stool. The hat had unnerved him, with its talk about blood and names not being important. He had always been raised to believe that as a Malfoy and a pureblood he was important, that he would always matter. Glancing over to meet the golden eyes of Harry Potter, however, Draco started to doubt.

 _Look at Potter. From what I've heard, his mother was a muggleborn, and a powerful one at that. Even then, he isn't famous or respected because of his parents. He's respected because of his actions, even as a child._ It was at that moment that Draco decided something. He couldn't just depend on his family name, or his blood anymore, not now that he was a student just like anyone else. No, if the hat was right, he would need to prove that he deserved everything he got, including his House. Draco wasn't going to go through life with an open hand, he decided as he sat down at the Slytherin table, expecting everything to fall into it. No, he was going to clench that hand tight around his wand, and earn it.

Harry was starting to get nervous. The Sorting was getting closer and closer to him, and finally thoughts on what might happen if his prediction ranf true, and he was thrown out were starting to warm their way into his mind. He couldn't possibly go back to the Dursley's, He'd never stand a chance. Harry supposed he could always try to live off the streets, but he had no idea how an eleven year old boy would manage something like that. Maybe they'd just let him stay on as an assistant to Hagrid? Harry had felt just how vast the grounds were, and it was quite a lot for one person, no matter how large, to keep.

"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall's voice broke into his thoughts as she called his name, letting Harry practically feel the shiver of interest that ran through the Great Hall. Students were starting to shove each other aside to get a look as Harry slowly made his way to the front of the remaining unsorted first years. Trying to ignore the stares of the other students, not to mention the whispers, Harry practically tossed the hat on as he sat, pulling it low over his eyes.

 _"_ _Oh, what's this? Are you scared of gossip?"_ Harry almost jumped at the incredulous voice that echoed in his mind. After pausing for a moment to make sure that he actually had heard what he thought he heard, Harry shook his head lightly before whispering a response.

"No, its just bothersome for people to look at me like some kind of hero. I haven't done anything, at least not that I can remember. I haven't earned any glory, so why should I get any?"

 _"_ _And would you, if you had the chance? Would you fight for glory, to be worshipped and praised by your peers?"_ Harry, taken aback by the sudden inquiry, shook his head, somewhat more vigorously this time.

"No, I don't care for praise. I'd fight to protect people though, even if they didn't thank me."

 _"_ _Oh? And why would you do that, spend your time and effort if not for acknowledgement?"_

"Because someone has to, so why not me?" Harry asked with a shrug, unsure of what the hat was getting at. Who would help people only if there was something to gain? What was the point of that?

 _"_ _That is a very wise way to look at things, dear boy. To be honest, I was worried I might have to place you in Slytherin when I first saw your mind. You would do well there, you know."_ As soon as the voice, which Harry assumed was coming from the hat, said those words, he felt an instant repulsion. Harry didn't dislike Slytherins, yet, at least. in fact that Draco kid seemed kind of decent, but somehow Harry knew for a fact that he did not belong in Slytherin. That much was certain.

"No. I don't care if you _are_ a very powerful hat, I will burn you if you even consider placing me in Slytherin." Harry attempted to put as much venom in his voice as he could, despite the fact that he was whispering. As he said the words, though, he could have sworn that he heard the hat laughing.

 _"_ _Oh ho ho, threatening me, are we? Perhaps you will be a worthy heir. I've only ever been talked to like that by one person, boy, and you have earned nowhere near as much respect as he. Still, I guess I can't help but admire your spunk. Perhaps you truly do belong in_ Gryffindor! _"_ Harry grinned in surprise as he stood, amazed that he had actually succeded in being placed. Perhaps he really did have the makings of a great wizard, as Hagrid had claimed. Rushing to the table that was now in an uproar of celebration, however, Harry couldn't help but dwell a bit on what the hat had questioned him about. His answers had actually surprised himself, really. He'd never thought of himself as the self-sacrificing type, but thinking back, he supposed it could be true. There were a few times he could remember in his childhood he had drawn the attention of Dudley and his gang just to protect other kids. Maybe it came from being used to mistreatment already. Harry could certainly take a punch much better than most people. Whatever it was, he was forced to put those thoughts aside those thoughts for a later date as he was welcomed vigorously to the Gryffindor table with yells of "We've got Potter!"

After the other Gryffindor students quieted down, Harry settled back to watch the rest of the Sorting, but didn't pay much attention other than to cheer when Ron was also sorted into Gryffindor. Instead, his eyes were hunting down the three other students he had noted, each having been sorted into a different house. Luna, The Ravenclaw girl with the silver hair, was the first he found. Actually, she found him, attracting his attention by waving and smiling, before returning to reading some kind of newspaper, barely giving Harry time to respond in kind. Susan, The Hufflepuff who he had talked to in the entrance hall, was somewhat harder to find, but he eventually managed. She was at the edge of the table, trying to hold a polite conversation with a couple older Hufflepuff girls while carefully edging away from any ghost that came near her. Harry felt a pang of regret that he couldn't help, but forced himself to look away. The last of the three was the Draco boy from the train, his unique aura catching Harry's eye as he looked like he was trying desperately to escape the attentions of two rather brutish looking boys. They seemed to be following him around the table like moths to a flame, and it wasn't until the very end of the sorting that they finally slunk away, looking like kicked dogs. Harry wondered what that had all been about, but was distracted when McGonagall took away the sorting hat, clearing the way for the old man Harry had noticed before to stand up and clear his throat.

"Ahem. Now that you are all sorted, there are only a few words I would like to say before we all dig in, and here they are: Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, and Tweak." Harry was about to ask the nearest person if the old man had gone absolutely nutters, but was stopped by the sudden appearance of more food than Harry had previously thought possible to exist in one place. His mind was instantly lost to the finer functions of higher thought as a great hunger suddenly pierced his stomach. He quickly set about filling his plate with as much food as he could and dug in, shoveling the sustenance into his moth by the forkful. Harry lost track of both time and his surroundings, only pausing in his crusade against the innumerable legions that was the welcoming feast when the actual supper foods disappeared, only to be replaced by desserts of all sorts and sizes, many of which Harry didn't even recognize, but still shoveled onto his plate anyways.

Finally, just as the final crumbs disappeared from the plates and surrounding dishes, harry leaned back, rubbing his full belly. The sudden onset of ravenous hunger had surprised him, and looking around at the almost frightened looks around him, he wasn't the only one. Funnily enough, similar situations seemed to be occurring at the other tables with the three powerful first years, Draco, Susan, and Luna. As he looked up, each were blushing as they wiped their faces, now covered in the remainds of the feast. Harry, on the other hand, refused to blush, instead grinning with food stained teeth at his surrounding students. That seemed to be a good call, because a warm feeling welled up inside of him as he realized that they were _laughing,_ but with him, not at him.

With a satisfied grin on his face at easily being able to dodge embarrassment like the others, Harry looked back at said others. Somehow, they too seemed to have dodged too big of a deal out of their shared debacle, although they each seemed to still be getting a few strange looks here and there. Hmmm, maybe Hogwarts was a lot more tolerating of large appetites than the Dursleys. Still, it was nice to know Harry wasn't alone. Maybe it had to do with having large amounts of magic? That Luna girl did say he was glowing brightly too.

Shaking the questions Harry knew he couldn't answer out of his head, he turned to listen to the speech Dumbledore was about to give. Not much of it made sense to Harry, but he got the general gist of it. Basically, stay away from the forest and the third floor corridor in the west wing. Not that hard to do. The school song, however, was pretty fun to sing, even if Ron's brothers took absolutely forever with a really slow wedding march. Finally, the students were led to their common rooms by their prefects, and Harry watched with a pang of sadness as Draco, Luna, and Susan disappeared into the depths of the castle, although why he didn't know. Seriously, at some point Harry was going to have to figure out what was going on with all these changes, from random longings for people he barely even knew all the way down to the magical sight of the runes he could still see adorning the halls of the castle.

As Harry finally stumbled exhaustedly into the four poster bed in the boy's dormitory, having barely stopped to change into his nightwear, he took in one last sight of his new home, wondering just how he was going to feel waking up in the morning.


	4. Chapter Three: First Class

**Guess who's baaaaaaaaack! Yes, I have finally returned from the vat and unknown wilds of writer's block.**

 **So, I've already tried writing this author's note once and I don't particularly feel like doing it again, so I'm just going to give you the general gist of what I said. If you have questions, put it in a review and I will try my best to answer.**

 **So, basically, my inspiration took a month long vacation, and then I had to move. Was exhausting, took forever, and basically sucked overall. That's about it.**

 **Alright, time for my questions to you, my lovely readers. First, should I make Dumbledore evil in this story, or just a misled old fool? I'm mostly leaning towards evil since it would allow for a lot more interesting plot points and whatnot as the main characters are forced to deal with him, but I know that a lot of people don't like the idea of making him evil, so tell me what you think and I will take it into consideration since I don't have any personal preferences.**

 **Second, I am unsure of who to pair Draco with, so I thought I'd ask for your advice. Basically, it's between Susan, Ginny, or Hermione. Susan, because she was my original idea, and I could definitely still work with that. Hermione, because Dramione is a very big thing in fandom, and while I don't particularly care for it, doing so would be an interesting challenge because of that very reason. Ginny, I had actually never considered until I ran into a random story that paired them, and i actually realized that it would be highly interesting for multiple reasons, and their characters would actually make for a very fun romance.**

 **Also, at the end of this chapter there is a bit of Ron bashing, but it is for a good reason. Basically, he really isn't needed for this story and would only muck things up, so I have to start giving the other characters a reason to drift away from him very early on. Don't worry, i don't actually dislike him even if he can be a prick sometimes, and the other Weasley's will have very big parts to play, especially Ginny, and Ron himself might actually show up still from time to time. He just won't be a big player, and I apologize for that to any Ron fans, or fans of pairings involving him.**

 **So, i think that may have actually still ended up almost as long as last time. Oh well, I guess i should let you all get on with the story you have patiently waited a month for. Read, Review, and Relax. Enjoy!**

When Susan woke up the morning after the Sorting Ceremony, it took her a few moments to fully register where she was, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. The sensation wasn't completely new to her, considering the Bones family had several different homes and often went on vacation, but the glowing runes scrawled across the ceiling were a big difference. She traced them with her eyes for a few seconds as her brain finished waking up, giving her access to the memories of the night before. After the feast, she had followed the Prefects of her new house to the Hufflepuff common room before quickly retiring to the girl's dormitory and collapsing in exhaustion. Honestly, she hadn't even bothered to undress!

Jumping up quickly from her bed after kicking aside the covers, Susan set about preparing herself for the first actual day of classes. It was a good thing she had always been an early bird, because she was able to finish and be on her way to the Great Hall quickly, barely even pausing in her quest to satisfy the gnawing hunger that was eating at her stomach. The pain was so great she would've sworn she hadn't eaten for days if she didn't vividly remember the embarrassing display she had put on at the feast the previous night.

After dodging several greetings from some of the older students who were more used to the exhaustion from the opening feast, Susan finally made it to the hall less than an hour after waking. Honestly, she would never understand those girls who took all morning just getting ready for the day. Still, they could primp themselves all they wanted. It just meant more breakfast for her. Settling herself down at the Hufflepuff table, she reached for a large plate heaped with eggs. Before she could serve herself, though, she was interrupted when a loud squealing voice called her name just as a blurred form crashed into her side.

"Susan! There you are!" Susan, struggling not to drop the plate of eggs, fought to keep her balance as an excited Hannah Abbot attempted to crush the breath out of her lungs. Hannah was another first year Hufflepuff, and was also somewhat of a friend to Susan. Their family's had always been close, and there had been many play dates between the two girls, but Susan had always known it was primarily just politics at work. Still, that didn't stop Hannah from being convinced that they were the best of friends, not that Susan was complaining.

"Sooooooooo, how's your first day going?" Susan, having finally extricated herself from Hannah's tight grasp, sighed at the girl's super hyperness. Wasn't there some rule saying people couldn't be all perky before nine in the morning?

"Um, I don't know yet. It sorta just started." Hannah, who seemed shocked by this revelation, gasped in surprise as Susan fought the urge to shake her head in exasperation.

"Oh, by Merlin, you're right! didn't think of that, sorry. So instead, how do you think it's going to go?" Susan easily allowed the other girl to start going on a ramble, tossing in a few comments here and there to make it seem like she was paying attention. She had long since grown used to Hannah's perky nature, and quickly put that knowledge to use as she continued to eat, not really paying close attention. She only really looked up from her food when she suddenly noticed that the other girl had gone quiet and was subtly nudging her in the side.

"Hey, look. It's _him_. By the tall kid with the orange hair." Susan glanced up to see who the 'him' was, but instantly regretted it. Her eyes were quickly drawn to the mentioned red haired boy entering the Great Hall, and then almost as if by instinct, shifted to look at the somewhat smaller form beside him and its messy black hair. She couldn't see the eyes of the smaller boy, but she instantly recognized the face, even without the glasses they had been wearing the night before. It was Harry Potter.

Susan watched with mixed feelings as the boy walked through the Great Hall, looking somewhat uncomfortable with the stares and whispers he was receiving as he made his way to the Gryffindor table. She quickly had an internal debate for a few seconds before she came to a decision, turning to Hannah, who was still staring almost glassy eyed at the black-haired boy.

"Hey, watch my plate for me will you?" Without waiting for a reply, Susan determinedly stood up and started marching towards the red and gold table. She honestly wasn't sure exactly what she planned on doing once she got there, but Susan knew that she needed to talk to Harry. It was silly, she knew, expecting to be able to just walk up to one of the most famous people in the entire wizarding world, but the instant any doubts crossed her mind she quashed them with memories of the previous night. If he had been willing to talk to her then, surely he wouldn't mind talking to her now, even if it was in front of everybody else? Either way, she really didn't have much time to think about it as she finally stepped up to the table, causing him to look up warily and meet her eyes. Gods, those eyes were striking, the golden irises reminding her of some kind of predatory animal. They were certainly exotic enough to fit a hero as famous as him.

"You never mentioned you were Harry Potter." Oh, did she really just say that out loud? Gods, she sounded like a prissy child, and she'd said it in front of the whole school! Well, most of it, anyways. Harry, at least, didn't seem bothered by it, instead choosing to look her straight in the eye as he responded in a level voice.

"You never asked."The simple statement increased Susan's embarrassment tenfold as she realized that he was right. She really hadn't asked. The girl struggled to come up with something to say for a few seconds, before blurting out the first thing that came to her mind.

"But you're famous!" The only change in Harry's expression was the raising of an inquisitive eyebrow as his tone turned almost bored.

"And?" Susan sputtered again, frustrated with the uncaring attitude the boy seemed to display towards the fact that a little Hufflepuff like her really had no place interacting with someone as famous as Harry Potter. In fact, those very thoughts started to spill straight off her unguarded tongue, slipping out in her confusion.

"And you talked to me! You can't just talk to people like me!" Susan slapped her hand over her mouth the instant she realized what she had just said, afraid she might have offended him. Instead of the expected reprimand or comeback she had been expecting, however, Harry only sighed wearily and shook his head before looking back to Susan, only the glint in his eyes betraying the boy's amusement as he locked eyes with Susan.

"Look, I don't care about the fame or the glory. I was raised by Muggles who hated magic and told me my parents died in a car crash, so I'm probably even further behind than most muggleborns." Susan, suddenly going through several stages of shock as her mind processed that not only had she not offended him, but Harry was actually _talking_ to her yet again, and even telling her about his past. She almost missed the curling of his lips upward as the amusement that had been shining in his eyes previously spilled over onto his face as he watched Susan try to come to terms with the fact that _Harry Potter_ was talking to her like an equal. The young boy was nothing like how she had imagined him, a cool, suave young man that would hardly even notice the lesser beings like her even if she ended up splattered across his windshield. Her idea of The Boy Who Lived was so heroic he would just wipe her off and continue driving down whatever baddie had thrown her there. This kid, however, was actually smiling at her. The image didn't truly shatter however, not until he opened his mouth once again as the smile turned into a smirk.

"Susan, last night you said you wanted friends. Has that changed?" Stunned by the sudden question and the fact that he had actually remembered what she said, Susan could only nod numbly. She quickly grew even more confused and lost as the smirk widened into a full fledged grin and Harry gestured for her to sit down across from him, Susan automatically complying with the unspoken request. Once again, the young girl struggled to figure out what had just happened as Harry calmly piled her plate with a similar amount of food to his, before continuing his meal almost exactly like before she had interrupted it, the only difference being the offhand comments he threw Susan's way. The girl started to answer and eat mechanically, still trying to sort out the whirlwind of thoughts swirling around her head. There was only one thing she knew for certain in all this mess, and as the thought crossed her mind, she smiled for the first time since she had gone to sleep the previous night, still worrying over the first encounter she had with the black haired boy.

Hannah was going to have a field day with this.

Harry had to work hard to ignore the somewhat awed look on Susan's face as he led her and Ron through the halls of Hogwarts in their quest for the Transfiguration classroom. The girl had been staring at him ever since she sat after the confrontation at breakfast. Honestly, Harry was starting to worry that he had broken the brunette with his lack of fame-mongering. She had barely even responded when McGonagall gave them their schedules, and Harry had to literally pull her away from the table when it became time for them to go. He was going to have to deal with those self-esteem issues at some point, but it was far too early in the morning, let alone year, for that.

"Is this it?" He asked, gesturing at the classroom where a few of their fellow year mates seemed to be gathering. Susan, shocked by the question, nodded meekly, while Ron simply shrugged and stuffed the last of the roll he had been eating in his mouth. Harry, taking that as a probably, leaned against the wall, content to wait until either the teacher showed up, or the group moved on. Either way, he thought they were likely in the right place, even if a bit early. As he settled down for a wait, he studied the other students. Really, there were only a couple. That girl from the train, Granger, if he remembered correctly, was there, looking to be lost in a book. On the other side was a little Slytherin girl, though Harry couldn't quite place her. He hadn't paid close attention during the sorting ceremony after all. The last of the other's, however, was what really interested him, especially as the silver haired girl quietly stepped in front of Harry and bowing to both him and Susan.

"Good morning, My lord, My lady." Luna, the girl who had seemed to recognize him during the sorting ceremony, spoke the greeting in a dreamy voice, a soft smile on her face as she rose from the unexpectedly formal bow. Harry, unsure of what to do, glanced towards Susan and Ron for help. Before either of them could offer anything to the confused boy, Luna continued speaking, drawing his attention back to her. "Strange, you're still glowing. Perhaps you don't know how to stop it? That's unfortunate. I was rather hoping you could tell me. Oh well." With that odd commentary, the girl drifted further down the hall, stopping in an alcove and starting to talk to herself. Harry, still completely at a loss as to how to react, stared after her. Only Ron's voice breaking into his subconscious managed to bring his attention back to the others.

"Bloody hell, mate, what was that all about? And why'd she call you a lord? You haven't been holding out on us, have you?" Harry, eyes shifting back to his new friend, just shook his head.

"No, I've got no idea. I don't even know her. And as far as I know, I'm no lord."Susan, the new shock appearing to have pulled her out of her previous reverie, gave a small laugh before interrupting.

"Actually, Harry, you are. The Potters are a very old, and very noble house. My own house, the Bones, are purebloods as well, although nowhere near as prominent." That explanation earned her sharp looks from both boys, Ron's awed while Harry's was a mixture of both disbelief and curiosity.

"So I actually am noble?" He questioned, not completely sure he had heard right. It couldn't be possible, or he would've known, right? If nothing else, Hagrid would've told him, even if he had been distracted by getting Harry his school supplies. Unless he hadn't actually known. That could've been true.

"Yes, extremely. The Potters are practically royalty. Only a few houses have lineages going back as far as yours, such as the Longbottoms or the Malfoys. Black was another, but from what I've heard, they're almost wiped out."

"Well so is my family, right? I mean, it's not like I've got any other family members." Harry suddenly threw her a fierce look as the thought entered his mind. If he actually had other family out there… Harry wasn't sure what he would do. "Do I?" To Harry's disappointment, however, Susan shook her head.

"Not that I'm aware. However you, at least, are still around to carry on the name. Supposedly the last few Blacks are serving life sentences in Azkaban, though I'm not sure why." Harry started to respond to that, but was interrupted by the sight of Professor McGonagall sweeping down the hall in her emerald robes. The crowd of students, which had grown considerably while they talked, followed in her wake, entering the classroom. It was a simple thing, wooden desks arranged in straight rows. At the front of the classroom was a much larger desk than the others, and more ornate as well. Harry figured that must be McGonagall's both by the placement and the style. It looked just as severe as her.

As the students filtered out to find seats, Harry managed to grab three off in the corner for him and Ron. Somehow, while he was doing that he failed to notice Luna sneak up and take another adjacent seat, only seeing her once they were finally seated. Glancing around the room while he waited for McGonagall, who was now standing right in front of her desk and scanning the classroom, to speak, Harry quickly took stock of all the people he knew. Obviously, Ron, Susan, and Luna were all sitting by or near him. Hermione, who had now put away her book and looked to be bouncing in her seat as she waited for the Professor to start talking, was located just a few rows away. Most curiously however, was Draco, who took one glance at him and the others before smoothly taking a seat located all the way across the room from them. It almost looked like he was purposely avoiding their group, although Harry had no idea why that would be the case. Maybe it had to do with the whole Nobility thing Susan had been talking about. She had mentioned that the Malfoy's were on equal terms with the Potter's, so rivalry perhaps? That would also explain why he went in their compartment on the train, if he was scoping out the competition. Still, it seemed a bit strange for an eleven year old boy to be so involved in politics already, but then again, they were wizards. From what Harry had seen, the magical community seemed to be firmly rooted in the dark ages, so it might not be all that uncommon, especially with purebloods like him. Either way, Harry quickly shoved those thoughts out of his head so that he could listen to McGonagall's inevitable speech. They weren't all that important anyways.

Harry honestly expected the aged witch to give them this long speech about respect and safety, and all that stuff teachers normally go on about, but he was sorely disappointed. McGonagall merely stated that she would brook no messing about in her classroom, gave a short demonstration on the spell to turn a match into a needle, and then passed out several of the former to the students, making it clear that she meant for them to attempt the same. _If she's always this efficient,_ Harry thought to himself as he took his own match, _she might just earn my respect by the end of these seven years._ As soon as the students all realized that they weren't going to be receiving anything else, the class suddenly filled with the noise of several dozen eleven year olds shouting and waving, trying to force their matches to become sharp and pointy through whatever means they could come up with. The only pause came about twenty minutes after the class had already started, when two boys resembling fat gorillas walked into the room, still stuffing their mouths with what was left of breakfast. Everybody suddenly stopped what they were doing to stare at them, making the whole room turn so quiet, you could hear a pin drop- if anyone had actually managed to transfigure their match, that was.

As the students all watched the two boys, who seemed oblivious to the fact that not only were they ridiculously late to the first day of class, but they had also interrupted the lesson, Harry noticed that something else wasn't exactly right. As soon as this registered, he began to scan the room, mentally cataloguing everything he saw. There were the few students he recognized by name, another few who's faces at least seemed familiar, the two latecomers that Harry vaguely recognized as the ones that had been bothering Draco at the opening feast, the Professor's desk with the cat on it... wait, what?

Harry instantly zeroed in on the ornate desk. There, on the corner, was a grey striped tabby cat, with strange markings around the eyes, sitting as still as if it were carved from stone. What the hell it was doing there, Harry had no idea, but he figured it probably had something to do with the fact that as he also glanced around the room to see if anyone else noticed the new addition, he couldn't seem to find Professor McGonagall. She couldn't possibly be the cat, though. Right?

A few seconds later, that question was answered as the tabby suddenly jumped off the desk, and he was witness to one of the strangest sights he had or ever would see. The cat's skin seemed to flow outward, expanding into a vaguely humanoid shape before a ripple went through it, molding that shape into the form of McGonagall, fully clothed and a rather stern expression on her face as she stared down the two boys, whose mouths were now hanging open so wide the pastry's that had been stuffing them fell out onto the floor with an audible _plop._ Harry didn't blame them, really, since he was struggling to keep his own jaw from hitting the floor. Several seconds went by as the Professor continued to glare at the boys, causing the tension in the room to build as everyone practically held their breaths in anticipation of the coming reprimand. It had almost become unbearable, and Harry was starting to think of some witty comment just to break the silence, when McGonagall finally spoke.

"Well, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle, It's a pleasure for you to finally join us. I trust you had no problem finding your way here?" Crabbe and Goyle gave her dull looks, like they were unable to decipher the thick sarcasm layering her words, before the one on the right, Harry wasn't sure which it was, shrugged.

"No, we were found it okay, Professor." Harry, a grin already growing on his face in amusement, had to slap a hand to his mouth to prevent himself from laughing at the utterly oblivious answer, as did several other students. What, were they complete idiots? Harry's mirth disappeared a few moments later, however, when he saw the rather terrifying frown that had twisted the Professor's face. Yikes, he did not want to be on the receiving end of that. The sight of it made Harry start to doubt his attempts at cheek the night before. Maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to anger this particular teacher.

Harry watched as McGonagall studied the two large boys with narrow eyes, before turning to walk back to her desk, cloak sweeping behind her as she said with barely concealed anger, "Twenty points from Slytherin, and a detention each. Do try to be on time to your next class, and perhaps this will convince you to finish your meals before arriving. Or at least think of an excuse." This time Harry and most of the class couldn't stop at least a few sniggers from creeping out. A few students weren't laughing, though. The other Slytherin's, excepting Malfoy, were instead glaring balefully at Crabbe and Goyle, who were now looking quite shameful. Thick-skulled though they seemed, at least they were smart enough to realize they were in big trouble. Harry didn't envy their reception into the Slytherin common room that night.

Harry barely watched as the two attempted to sit by Draco, but were quickly sent away by a rather venomous glare as the class continued their work now that the temporary entertainment was done, instead letting his thoughts turn towards the changes to himself he hadn't had the time or energy to contemplate the previous night.

The most obvious change, at least to anyone else, was his eyes. When the eleven year old had checked this morning in the mirror, they remained their new golden color, and he was still unable to figure out why. Harry intended to fix that as soon as he had time to find the school library. Surely it would have some kind of hint. Another change to do with his eyes, although it wasn't outwardly visible and most people likely wouldn't notice it, was his sight. Harry had always had rather bad sight, everything being far too blurry to even attempt to identify if he wasn't wearing his glasses. Now though, his sight was far better than even when he wore them. Harry had no idea if it could be classified as perfect, since he himself had never experienced such a thing, but it must be so. Surely whatever it was that had fixed his sight wouldn't have done so only to quit the job halfway, right? Either way, it was the only change Harry didn't really mind, even with all the questions it brought to mind.

The next change was his strange new sensitivity to magic. He could feel it humming in the air, and see it twisting around the walls of the castle. He had found, as he was now fully awake enough to process it all, that he could not always truly see the magic permeating the castle, as it move and hid, but Harry had no doubt that he definitely saw more than most of his classmates, if they saw anything. The only constant source of magical light were the various runes that seemed to cover nearly every inch of the castle, which Harry was starting to suspect the others couldn't see either. The one time he had mentioned them at breakfast, Susan was the only one to understand him, Ron and the other Gryffindors only giving him confused looks. It was interesting to look at them, but Harry had found the most interesting aspect of this gift was the aura's of his classmates. While the boy couldn't quite see them, he felt like he almost could, as if they were hiding just out of sight. He definitely got a feeling as to what color they would be not to mention how 'bright' it would be, if he could see it.

Take the Hermione girl for example. Her aura gave him a sense of deep chocolate brown, warm and intelligent. It was also rather powerful, almost overshadowing those of the students closest to her. She was nowhere near the golden, blue, or even twisted green and silver of Susan, Luna, or Draco though. It was a direct contrast to the faint orange of Ron, who had practically disappeared in the sea of colors around the classroom. While Harry quite enjoyed looking at the different colors though, the strange new sense also brought many questions to the forefront of his mind, such as why he had it, and why it had only appeared the day he left for school?

Aside from that, there was another change, one which spawned more questions than ever, and also felt like it could be the answer to all of them. The strange marking on his chest, which even now he hid underneath his robes, seemed likely to be at the center of this matter. After all, the other changes had only appeared after it, and Harry had a strange feeling it was very important. Funnily enough, he felt marked as important by it, even more so than his scar. Perhaps the lion drawing was something similar, the mark of some powerful magic that was giving him all of these abilities? If so, that brought to mind three important questions. First, who had cast this magic on him? Second, Why had they done so? And lastly, most definitely not the least important, what abilities might either his magical markings be granting him that he had yet to discover? Harry had no idea, but he intended to find out.

Once Harry had finally sorted out all his thoughts, he quickly realized that there really wasn't anything he could do at the moment to answer any of his questions, so, frustrated, he turned to frown at the match that had stubbornly refused to react to his various attempts to cast the simple transfiguration spell on it. Perhaps he was doing something wrong? With that thought, Harry decided to instead of foolishly wave his wand at it and say a few words hoping for it to do something, perhaps he should try to think about it. To do so, he set his wand down and instead wrapped his hand under his chin to rest his head on them as he stared at the match, contemplating the assignment. McGonagall had shown them the wand movement and taught them the incantation, but when Harry really thought about it, there surely had to be something more to the magic than just that/ Otherwise, people like the Dursleys could just pick up a wand and use it, if shown how. No, there had to be something that separated the Muggles from the Magicals.

That last thought was what finally told him what he was looking for, and the realization sent him mentally reeling at his idiocy. His magic was inside of him! It was what separated him and the people around him from everyone else, so of course the only thing that could make sense was that it was actually inside of his , if he was to manage to cast a spell, he would have to actually pull on it. Really, how could he have expected something to happen just because he waved a stick and said a few words. The wand was a tool to direct his power, and the words instruction for it, or maybe just a way to focus his intent, but the power had to come from him directly. As such, he had to purposefully harness his magic and feed it into the spell, but how to do so?

It wasn't long before Harry remembered the one and only time he could recall ever feeling his magic, when he had bought his Holly and Phoenix feather wand from Ollivander's. As soon as he had gripped it, the wondrous sensation that Harry would never forget had washed over him, allowing him to truly feel magic. Now that Harry could remember that feeling, he set about digging deep into himself, reaching for that warm feeling. It wasn't long before he found it, interestingly enough in the same place as the lion tattoo, directly over his heart, beating in time with it.

As Harry for the first time became consciously aware of his magical core, he realized that Luna was right, he did glow. The magic was a deep crimson, far too vast for his eleven year old mind to fully comprehend. As he tentatively reached into the well of power, he suddenly recoiled his consciousness as it started to flood out into his body, feeling him with power. Harry froze for a second, marveling at the feeling of his magic flooding through him once again. He was so enraptured by the sensation that he barely even noticed that it was far more than the last time he had felt it, instead slowly taking up his wand. Now that he had managed to access his magic, Harry was determined to see if he was right in his idea.

Calmly facing the match once more, Harry grabbed hold of his magic and channeled it through his wand as he waved it in the correct manner, repeating the incantation McGonagall had given them at the beginning of class. He watched in awe as the power wrapped around the match, transforming it into a bright silver like the one that was still on McGonagall's desk. Harry could hardly believe his eyes. He had actually done it! He had cast a spell, successfully turning his match into a needle. Glancing around, Harry looked to see if anyone else had managed it. Only Hermione had made a difference, her match having turned all shiny and pointy, but even then it was still a match. He was, however, getting strange looks from the other three sensors in the class, and Harry looked away sheepishly. He had probably attracted their attention with his little show. He really had used far more power than he had needed to make the spell work.

With his work done, Harry considered telling McGonagall, but quickly discarded the thought. He didn't really feel like looking like some kind of genius when all of his other classmates had barely even managed to touch their match. McGonagall herself had said she didn't expect any of them to manage a full transfiguration that day. He would just wait until the end of class when he wouldn't attract as much attention. God knew he had enough already. Instead he decided to wait quietly for the bell, only looking up when he felt flares from three already familiar sources of magic Well, it looked like at least some people had managed to figure it out. Harry wondered if perhaps the whole point of the class was just to test the students on their ability to harness their magic. If so, McGonagall was going to be in for a surprise.

It didn't take long for the class to end, Harry already having spent much of it thinking before he finished the assignment. McGonagall, who had been silently fuming at her desk after the arrival of Crabbe and Goyle waved most of them out before saying, "Potter, Malfoy, Bones, and Lovegood, if you would stay behind a moment." For a second, Harry worried that he was already going to be in trouble, but then he realized that the Professor had also picked out the other three who had managed the transformation. That probably meant that she was planning on congratulating them instead. Worries abated, Harry calmly lined up in front of the stern Professor's desk with the other three, a small smile widening his face as McGonagall inspected the four of them. Her eyes seemed to tighten just a bit when she saw it, but it didn't look like it was in anger, so he refused to drop the smile. After a few seconds of watching them, the woman finally seemed to complete her intimidation routine, letting a small smile play across her lips.

"Dumbledore warned me that there would be some very talented students in my class, but I had not truly expected it to be so. Good job, all of you, and twenty points to each of your houses." Harry raised an eyebrow in curiosity. First of all, it was almost creepy to see the normally stern woman smile, Harry had to suppress a shiver at the sight of it. Secondly, Dumbledore knew about their… abnormalness? Maybe he would have to go talk to the old man at some point. For some reason though, the thought didn't sit well with him, especially as he remembered the calculating aura from the previous night. Maybe he _shouldn't_ interact with him, lest Harry get caught up in some sort of magical politics he knew nothing about.

Harry and the others all waited a few more seconds for the Professor to continue, but after a bit it became obvious that she had meant her reward as a dismissal. Even as Harry made his way out of the classroom with the others on his heels, he almost snorted at the thought. Wasn't it actually kind of pointless to give all the houses the same exact reward? You might as well have given them nothing since the change had been even. Still, Harry supposed it was a nice acknowledgement of their success without treating one better than the other. It would seem McGonagall was a fair woman after all.

It didn't take Harry and Susan, who was following him, long to find Ron since he had apparently been waiting outside the classroom for them. The redhead seemed relieved when they told him the teacher had merely wanted to congratulate them on their work, but was envious when he learned that they had managed to fully transfigure their matches. "Oh, come on, how'd you do it? Mine didn't change a bit, and that Hermione kept rubbing it in my face. 'No, you're not supposed to swing it that hard!' Honestly, she's full of herself." Harry had to stop himself from giving the other boy a glare. He didn't understand why Ron thought that giving someone advice meant someone was full of herself. Even Susan was frowning slightly as Ron continued to go on and on about Hermione. Still, Harry pushed it out of his mind as they continued walking towards their next class. Eventually though, Ron got past the bushy haired girl to start gloating over the punishment of Crabbe and Goyle. "And did you see the look on McGonagall's face? I'm glad you seem to know your way around this place, mate, or we'd have suffered the same fate." Harry just shook his head at the redhead. Sure it was funny, but he didn't really see the need to gloat over the punishment of two boys they didn't know, even if they were in Slytherin. Ron really needed to get over the whole house rivalry thing. Harry could already see it causing problems.

As they walked though, Harry thought about the class they had just finished, and the magic he had had felt so good to do magic. Hopefully, the next class would be just as fun. Hogwarts was already starting to feel like home.


	5. Chapter Four: Quirrell

**And yello peoples! Yep, I'm back, and badder than ever before. Be prepared to see awesome!**

 **Okay, I'm going to stop that before one of you hunts me down and sticks me in the psycho house. Anyways, I'm back with another chapter, as well as my customary apology for being late. Seriously, I should just like have something ready for when it happens and just copy and paste. Oh well, you'll get over it.**

 **So, for this chapter I first need to warn you that it does get kinda intense somewhere around the middle, and there are slight mentions of abuse(I.E. the Dursley's treatment of Harry). Also, since I know a lot of you are going to read it and think that for some reason Quirrell used Crucio on Harry, that is NOT the case. He just tried to break into Harry's mind and because of reasons, it didn't just give Harry a twinge in the scar like normal. With that said, I'll just let you try to figure it out on your own.**

 **Moving onto other news, I would like to warn everyone reading that I have come to the realization that Dumbledore kind of has to be evil in this series. Sorry to all you Dumbly fans, but with the rules I have set up and already kind of established for this AU, it just wouldn't make sense if Dumbldore didn't know exactly what was going on and allow a great deal of the bad shit that will be going down, at least in the first four or so books. I will be trying to not go overboard with it, and do some of the idiotic tropes of things like stealing from Harry's vault and utterly ridiculous and illegal things like that, but there will be subtle manipulation and maybe a few things like loyalty potions. Don't worry though, it won't really work because reasons.**

 **So one last thing before I let you guys off to read this new and amazing chapter. While I was toying around with the question of who Draco was going to be paired with, I realized that undoing my previous arrangement also opened up a lot more possibility and curiosity for other pairings. As such, I literally have absolutely no clue as to who will be with who, so I decided to ask for input from everybody. Pretty much, just avoid any canon pairings(except minor ones) or ridiculously over the top pairings, and I will consider it. That basically includes things like Ginny and Harry, or Sevrus and Hermione, respectively. Also, while I will consider girl/girl pairings, I won't do any guy/guy pairings. It's not that I have any problem with homosexuality, obviously, but I am a very straight male, and as such have no interest in anything that doesn't have at least one girl. It just wouldn't really give me any inspiration, and would be an absolute bitch to write without giving me any satisfaction, so it won't happen. Sorry slash fans.**

 **Okay, now it's really just one last thing. I wanted to apologize to all of my readers who got lost when I would suddenly change perspectives in the middle of a chapter. This only occurred because while I thought I had successfully managed to display the line breaks, I actually hadn't. I will try to fix that at some point, but for now I have simply settled for just putting XXX in it's place.**

 **Anyways, now that that's all done, I'll let you get to it. Read, Review, and Relax. Enjoy!**

XXX

As Harry walked down the halls of Hogwarts with Ron and Susan beside him, he was once again lost in thought, contemplating the drastic changes that had occurred in the last few days. However, he was not thinking once again of the still confusing effects on his magic and body that had been forced upon him, but rather of the various changes Harry had managed to enact by his own decisions.

The first, and perhaps most obvious, was the rather large appetite Harry, along with several of his classmates it seemed, had developed. While this wasn't particularly under his control, his reaction to it was. Harry had always been on the small side, but remained somewhat fit and unexpectedly quick when compared to many of his peers. This, however, had been more from a lack of proper nutrients resulting in the Dursley's form of delayed starvation more than any particular effort or work on Harry's part. Sure, he had also grown adept at escaping from Dudley's gang, but that was really all the activity the young boy ever experienced outside the menial labor the Dursley's would often assign him. Now, with vast amounts of food at his disposal, and an appetite that would likely put Uncle Vernon himself to shame, Harry had realized that he could very easily over eat and end up looking a lot like his bloated cousin, just without the blonde hair and tendency to cry to his mummy, if she were even still alive to cry such, Harry had quickly realized that it would probably be wise to find some answer to this dilemma before he became a walking whale.

The simplest answer would probably be to just cut back on his eating, attempting to return himself to a somewhat normal diet, at least normal for everybody else. This idea was almost instantaneously discarded, however. Harry had had enough experience of being starved his cruel relatives, he wasn't about to start willingly do it to himself. Instead, he decided that he would simply have to work off the excess calories and fat before they turned him blobby. This had ended up with him starting to do simple exercises such as pushups and situps in the dorm room at night, not to mention running through the halls during freetime. This led Ron to think he was mad, seeing as the redhead preferred to simply laze about and play the strange wizard's version of chess during his free periods, but Harry ignored him. Even Susan had agreed with him that it was a good idea, and started to at least come with him on his runs since she face the same problem, turning it into a race more often than not. Harry couldn't say as to whether she chose to do physical activity, since they were in completely different common rooms, but he assumed so.

The other changes Harry had made were walking beside him. Susan, he had found, was a good friend, if a little shy and possessing of a weird inferiority complex, at least when it came to Harry. In the few days he had known her, she seemed to go back and forth between acting perfectly normal, to suddenly seeming to realize she was talking to Harry and withdrawing randomly. Several times Harry had to coax her out of the shell she would put herself in, reminding her of his lack of knowledge about pretty much anything magical and that he really wasn't anything special. Other than that though, Susan was a generally friendly person, more often than not showing kindness to everyone around her. Harry almost wished they were in the same house just so they could hang out more, since she brought such a warm presence to the conversation. In fact, the library was quickly becoming one of their little groups favorite haunts since it was the easiest and simplest place for them to meet. It wasn't really accepted for students to go to the common rooms of other houses.

Susan was not the only member of their new group, however. Ron, too was a definite change, but Harry was still unsure about him. Sure, the orange haired boy was the first friend Harry had made, having met him on the train long before anybody else, but the black haired boy was quickly becoming disenchanted with him. Ron was loud, obnoxious, and almost constantly insulting of Slytherins and Hermione Granger. Harry could understand why the boy misliked Slytherin's, sort of, but even he didn't understand the feud between the redhead and the bushy haired girl. Ron was always spouting off stuff about Gryffindors being the best and seemed to judge almost everyone solely on what house they were in, but the young girl was also in Gryffindor, but did not seem immune to the hatred Ron reserved for those of the house of the snake.

Harry truthfully found Ron kind of annoying, as did Susan, but Harry was reluctant to push the other boy away. He was still the first person Harry's age to show him any kind of acceptance, and the first of Harry's friends, not counting Hagrid. In fact, if he didn't have Susan to serve as a contrast, Harry likely would have simply ignored Ron's more… unpleasant tendencies. The golden eyed wizard had never had much of an idea as to what friends were supposed to be like, since the Dursley's had never given him a chance to have any, so Harry was desperate to cling onto anyone who might qualify. As it was though, he was starting to wonder if that might be a bad idea.

Pushing those troubling thoughts aside, Harry instead turned his musings towards the last member of their little troupe, if she could even be called as such, trailing a little behind them as they made their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Luna was… a bit of a quandary. He had actually heard that word from her, so it was kind of ironic to use it on the girl herself. In fact, that was the first evidence as to her strangeness, the large, complicated words the girl used. For the most part Harry could figure out what she was saying, or the general gist of it really, but there were a few times where he had to look up one or more words the listless girl spouted in order to decipher her meaning. It had gotten to the point where Harry was already carrying around a dictionary with him, just in case. Still though, Luna's strange speech patterns were the least of her oddities, in some perspectives at least.

The silver haired girl had been following their little trio around ever since that first Transfiguration class, leaving only to go to the Ravenclaw tower when they separated for the night, or go to any classes she didn't share with them. She didn't talk much, at least to them, but every once in awhile the girl would throw in a random comment that more often than not had very little to do with the actual conversation. At least, it didn't seem to. Either way, the girl mostly didn't bother the three friends, preferring instead to talk to herself or read the strange newspaper she always carried around. Harry would almost say she was simply using them to fend off anyone else who might want to do something to her, as Harry had already heard several muttered insults thrown the girls way. He had plenty of experience with the way people treated those they saw as different, and Harry had no doubt that Muggles and Magicals were no different on that account.

Aside from specific changes though, Harry's world was almost completely different, now that he thought about it. Magic was amazing, with its moving pictures, man-eating plants, and reality-breaking spells. The feeling of it, the sight, the sounds, all of it was so completely different from what he knew and had previously expected of the world, and he _loved_ it. Even the classes were never dull, no matter how much Ron complained about them. Harry had only been to a few so far, but it was enough to make him anxious to see more. He had never been happier in his life since he had found magic.

Eventually, Harry and his little group of four reached the Defense classroom, and the boy was forced to push aside all of his thoughts in preparation for the coming class. This class, if any, he was wary of. He couldn't help but remember the twisted creature latched onto the back of Quirrell's head, dampening any enthusiasm Harry had for a class taught by the man. Harry wanted to believe that Dumbledore would never actually allow anything that might harm the students into the school, but even if the beast was harmless it would be unpleasant to spend any amount of time near the was also the chance that Dumbledore wasn't capable of sensing magic as Harry and Susan were, and therefore was completely unaware that such a creature even existed, let alone was roaming the halls of the school. Harry doubted it though. The boy had felt the wards as he first approached the school, and they could surely fend off a parasitic creature such as this. No, the only way Harry could see it being capable of entering was if it was allowed.

As Harry entered the classroom, he looked around, inspecting it for dangers. Harry was feeling uneasy, even more so than he would have expected of himself. Some sixth sense was telling him that he was in danger, despite his rationalizations, setting the boy on edge. The class itself was fairly normal, the only outstanding feature being the smokes wafting through the air, drifting away from the various candles scattered around the room to create a thin veil, easy to see through. Still, Harry remained tense.

The rest of the students filed into the classroom, Susan and Luna drawing a bit closer to Harry's side. It looked like he wasn't the only one feeling off. Ron though, in his typical oblivious fashion, just blundered off to the furthest seat back, likely hoping to avoid any sort of attention from the teacher. Harry couldn't blame him, although the ginger likely had very different reasons for his avoidance. Still, Harry supposed it was better than nothing, following suit before returning to scanning the classroom.

After a few quiet seconds, Quirrel entered the room after them, looking for all the world as a simple man, nervous about teaching a class. At least, that's how he looked to normal eyes. Harry's senses told a different story, where the thing attached to the teacher's head was seething in anger. Harry had no idea what it was angry about, but he instantly started reaching into his pocket to grasp his wand, gathering as much magic as he could grasp at the same time. The sixth sense from before was now going haywire, telling him to get ready, and Harry could see Susan and Luna, and even Draco doing the same. He had no idea what was coming, but could tell it wouldn't be good. Just his luck too, stuck in the class that this thing was going to blow up in.

Strangely, it didn't blow up as soon as Harry was expecting, Quirrell instead moving to his desk and starting to call roll in a shaky voice. Harry waited, tense, as the names progressed. Nothing happened though, at least not until Quirrell called Harry's name. The boy had been keeping his eye trained on the Professor and his parasite, watching as the disgusting energy mounted with every name called. As Harry's came up, however, the Professor's eyes rose to meet Harry's, and the whole world exploded in pain.

Harry was frozen to his seat, unable to even breathe as every single nerve in his body was lit on fire, a wave of agony rolling through him. He couldn't scream, it hurt so much. The boy was stuck there, muscles clenching as he burned alive under the cruel gaze of the Professor for what felt like an eternity. Still though, he met those eyes with as much strength as he could muster. Every time a tear welled up, or Harry thought he just couldn't take it any more and that he just wanted to curl up and die, something rebelled. He had faced agony before, had wanted to curl up and die every time the Dursley's locked the door to his cupboard, every time someone called him freak. What was physical pain, when compared to that of the soul? Harry had faced hatred all his life, been shunned, yelled at, starved, and hunted down like an animal by his own flesh and blood. Harry had no idea why this man, and the thing was harming him, and yes, he had no doubt that whatever was happening, it had something to do with this lying teacher and the monster attached to his head, but if they thought they would get a reaction out of him, they were dead wrong. So he continued staring, the only thing he could do, defiance burning in his eyes as he himself burned for what felt like an eternity.

After what was in reality a few seconds but felt much longer than that, the pain lessened a little, enough for Harry to move his head to the side a bit, trying to see in his peripherals what was happening. He caught a flash of green cloth, and a burst of silver magic cutting through the shadows he had completely missed writhing around his body, but that was it. Even that bit of relief however, was not enough. Still Harry burned, until even more help arrived. A burst of gold, and then blue, washed over the tortured boy, sweeping away the darkness that had draped over him like a cloak. The three magics met, swirling above his lion mark, and pulled forth the crimson of Harry's own magic, cleansing him entirely and removing the last bits of pain. Finally free, Harry's head swivelled as he blinked owlishly, taking in the scene.

Susan, Luna, and surprisingly Draco were all gathered around him, their outstretched hands touching him in some way. Now that he had a clear mind, Harry easily recognized the fading magics as theirs, meaning they had somehow saved him. As he looked around, the raven haired boy quickly realized that while his ordeal may have felt like an extremely long time, it must have only been seconds in reality as it looked like no one had even noticed what was happening, except those three of course. They were getting a couple of odd looks, especially from Hermione, but that was all so far. After checking the room, Harry slowly and carefully raised his eyes again, prepared to face Quirrel once again in order to get some answers. He could see no other way. Before Harry could do anything, however, a voice he hadn't heard since the ride on the Hogwarts Express spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

"Sorry Professor, I think Potter's a bit sick. I'll just take him to the Hospital Wing." Harry could hardly believe his ears as he listened to the incredibly obvious, and yet ridiculously smooth lie roll off of Draco's tongue, sounding almost like he believed it. He was even more shocked when Quirrell quietly nodded before turning back to his roll sheet and continuing as if nothing had happened. Harry didn't even resist fighting as Draco proceeded to haul him up out of his chair and drag him to the door. Susan and Luna followed, but were stopped with a look from Draco as he glanced between them and Quirrell. Surprisingly, both girls nodded and returned to their seats, although Susan looked reluctant. Still, though, the message was clear enough. _Keep an eye on him._

Draco dragged Harry out of the room, slamming the door shut, before suddenly shoving Harry up against the wall and staring at him intently. "What the hell was that, Potter?" Harry, startled by the sudden hostility, paused for a few seconds, his brain scrambling for an answer. Finally, he pushed Draco's arm away, a frown crossing his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, Potter." Harry stared back into Draco's eyes, trying to discern his motives, before giving up and just shrugging, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"I don't know. What's it matter to you, anyways?"

"I'm going to be stuck in a class with that _thing_ too, if you hadn't noticed. Besides," Suddenly, an evil smirk crossed Draco's face. " I just had to save your sorry self from whatever that thing did to you, so I should at least get a thank you." Harry frowned again. He was right, but what Harry really wanted to know was why.

"Why did you do that anyways? It's not like we're friends or anything." Draco suddenly looked down, his own frown appearing.

"I don't know. I felt like it." Harry snorted in amusement, smirking.

"So, which is it? You don't know, or you felt like it?" Draco shot the raven haired boy an irritated glance, but refused to answer. Instead, he just turned on his heels and stalked away, calling over his shoulder.

"Whatever. I'm not going back in there today, but you can if you want to." As the boy's silver hair disappeared around the corner, Harry looked back at the heavy wooden door and shuddered. Yeah, no way was he going back in there. He felt a bit bad about leaving Susan and Ron in there, and maybe Luna too, but they had been fine. If nothing else, they could help each other if the Professor decided to attack them. Harry, however, was almost certain that if he walked back in there right now, he probably wouldn't come out, or at least not unscathed. He needed to find something to protect himself, or at least some sort of knowledge on this type of thing, and that meant only one place. Time to go to the library.


	6. Chapter Five: Potions

**Yello again! I've come back with what was originally supposed to be the second part of last chapter, but I already mentioned how I cut them apart because the endings just seemed to be in the right place. In fact, I was going to add even more onto** _ **this**_ **chapter because of that, but once again, I didn't feel like breaking the flow.**

 **Anyways, so this chapter is written in Snape's point of view, and Oh My God, I had an ungodly amount of fun writing this chapter. I had actually expected it to be really difficult, considering it was freaking Snape, but it was almost easier to get into his head then it was to get into the other characters' heads. I hope I actually got it right, and didn't accidentally make him OOC.**

 **So, because I know there will be** _ **that**_ **guy(or girl) out there who complains that Harry was way too clever and cunning for a Gryffindor, especially a first year Gryffindor, I have a few things to say about that. Firstly, if you remember correctly, in both my version and actual canon, the Sorting Hat actually specifically stated that he would be a ridiculously awesome Slytherin. Secondly, i actually made Harry very purposefully act above his age level for reasons that will be explained later. Suffice it to say that this was part of the OOC I was talking about in my previous ANs. Thirdly, in my mind this was actually very Gryffindorish. Generally, the vibe I've gotten off of most Gryffindors is that they are actually quite clever and witty, just in a different way. See, when most Gryffindor's participate in a verbal spar, it truly is like a swordfight, quick, brutal, and vicious in its efficiency and directness. I see Slytherins in a more chessmaster role, with their enemy not even realizing they were having a duel until the lethal blow had already been struck. For example, if for whatever reason Draco was the one in Harry's place, Snape would never have gotten so defensive and Draco would not have let him realize he was making a mockery of Snape until the final question, instead maneuvering him into a position where he could deal the most damage with a single blow. So yeah, Harry was actually being very much a Gryffindor, even if he did show a bit of Slytherin.**

 **Okay, so I have to mention this since I forgot to last time, but I went back and actually corrected a few things that while only being minor and almost purely aesthetic in nature, do tie in with stuff that comes up later, as well as the major theme of this entire story and its inevitable sequels. Basically, the black haired woman from the prologue is now blue haired instead, and Luna's eyes are bronze instead of blue. There's no actual need to go back and read it, since I literally changed less than ten words altogether, but I figured I should let those of you who read the original thing know, so you don't get confused when I mention things like that later.**

 **Also, what is with all these people wanting to pair Harry/Susan and Draco/Luna? Seriously, you literally just traded my original pairings around. Actually branch out a little, like Harry/Hermione/ or Luna/Neville, or hell, even something like Susan/Ginny. Don't just suggest main/main, that's boring. Not that its impossible and won't happen, but still. I know you guys can do better than that.**

 **Anyways, I think that's plenty to keep you all busy for at least a few days, so I guess I'll let you get to it. Read, Relax, and Review. Enjoy!**

XXX

Severus Snape watched as the first year Slytherin and Gryffindor students filed into his classroom as he watched hidden from the shadows near his office. He had to hold back a snort of disgust as he looked at them, not wanting to give away his position. This group looked pathetic, even worse than last year's batch of dunderheads. Well, most of them did. At least his godson was among them. Perhaps that would be able to keep the levels of utter boredom and incompetence Severus had to deal with from being utterly abysmal. Regardless, it was about time to show himself.

Severus strode forwards silently, the only sound the billowing of his cape as he stalked through the horde of students that were now silently shocked by his sudden appearance. Severus ignored them as he moved to his desk, which was located at the front of the room, before turning to sweep his eyes over the crowd, only pausing as they passed a head of pure black hair, before moving on almost instantaneously.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making." Severus kept his voice low, silky, a skill he had learned long ago and used often. He would brook o one ignoring him in his own class, and so he used all of his skill to attract the attention of the students, reeling them in like fish on a line. "As there is little foolish wand waving here, many of you will hardly believe it is magic. However, I can teach you to Bewitch the mind, ensnare the senses, bottle fame, brew glory, or even stopper death. That is, if you aren't all as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Once again Severus swept his eyes around the room, ensuring that he had everyone's attention. However, before he could continue with his speech, it was necessary to take roll. While Severus doubted anyone would dare to be late to his class, the break would allow their interest to boil, slowly building to the point where they would hang on the end of every that came out of his mouth. Keeping a crowd's attention was a subtle science, after all.

Severus slowly meandered his way through the list of students, quickly memorizing each of their faces so that he would be able to visit swift punishment on them should they fail. It was not long, however, before he came to a name that both irritated him and made him curious, and he could not help but break from his carefully laid plans. "Ah, Potter. Our new celebrity." Severus finally allowed his eyes to fall on the one spot he had refused to allow them previously, where the infuriatingly familiar head of black hair was sitting next to the latest of the red headed weasley clan. Golden eyes stared back up at him, taking Severus aback. He had heard that the boy had green eyes, Lily's eyes! Dumbledore himself, and even that bumbling oaf Hagrid had claimed the same exact thing. He looked just like his father, only with his mother's eyes. Now, however, Sirius was starting to doubt the validity of that entire statement. Yes, He could see that prat James in the boy, the hair especially. Perhaps, even, his eyes were the same shape as Lily's, but that was where the similarities ended. The golden eyes, so like the mascot of the boy's house it was ironic, completely changed the shape of the face, and to Severus' well trained eye there were features on his face that did not belong to either, accented by those strange eyes. The boy looked almost as if he was unrelated to either of his parents. The question was, would he still _act_ like them?

"Tell me, Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" The boy's eyes narrowed, so slightly that if Severus weren't used to looking for every little detail in conversations, and even then if he weren't studying the the child so intently, he might have missed it. Still, he saw it, and only that same skill and experience allowed him to copy the boy as he answered with a sort of swagger that reminded Severus painfully of his old school rival, and yet seemed so much more pronounced and confident it made even James Potter in his prime pale in significance, an immense feat for a boy of eleven years of age.

"I would assume it would be some sort of potion." The boy paused for a second, apparently long enough to see the rather sudden thinning of Severus' lips, before continuing. "As to what kind, I couldn't say. It wasn't in any of the books I read. Then again, isn't that why you're here?" He said the last part with a nonchalant shrug, as if he could really care less about the conversation as a whole. The boy couldn't seem to keep a small smile off his face however, or the small glint in his eyes that seemed to radiate mischief. Severus was struck once again by the similarities and non-similarities that seemed to share an existence in this boy with his father. The sheer arrogance and daring were certainly legacies of his father, almost painfully so, but the true confidence and poise he used to wield them, not to mention the sheer cunning behind every word. The mention of the books made it apparent that the question was far beyond the skill level of a first year, not to mention the ending question that innocently suggested that Severus might be unneeded. If he weren't watching the challenge in Potter's eyes, the curl of the lips that dared him to respond in kind, Severus would never have believed the intrigue was enacted on purpose. As his mind mind hastily attempted to come up with just such a response, a thought flashed through before he crushed it, refusing to give such an idea any true chance. The boy almost sounded Slytherin.

"Tut, tut. Apparently fame isn't everything." Severus almost wanted to slap himself for making such a pathetic comeback. Perhaps, if he could've backed it with some sort of quip about the boy not bothering to try to learn anything, it may have sufficed. Potter had burned that bridge, however, with his seemingly innocent comment about books. Instead of lingering on his current scramble for control of the conversation, and his resulting pathetic display of disdain, Severus instead decided to pose another question to the child, in the hopes that two failures would give him enough clout to strike. The man never even stopped to think about how with only a few base comments, Potter had instantly devolved Severus into assuming the thought process normally reserved for battles of will, as if he felt threatened by an _eleven year old child_.

Perhaps, then, you could tell me the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?" Severus watched as the golden eyed boy seemed to contemplate the question for a short moment, before shrugging in response.

"Not completely sure, but if I had to say, it's probably a trick question, so the answer would be nothing." Severus allowed a frown to cross his face, but inside he was practically gloating already. While the boy was technically correct, his reasoning left quite a bit to be desired, if it could be considered to exist at all. Now all he had to do was bring that to the attention to the class, and he would the boy would have humiliated himself with Severus barely having to lift a finger.

"Probably a trick question? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you're the head of Slytherin house, right? And from what I've heard, their main motto is cunning. That means deception is practically required, especially if you wish to make an impression on a bunch of first years like us." Damn it. Once again the boy had turned his own attack against him. Still, there was a small hole in the boy's logic. "Then why would I not simply trap the first question?" Severus instantly regretted asking, a sinking feeling appearing in his chest as he watched Potter's smile turn into a fully fledged grin, which seemed just as condescending as the one often worn by another Potter.

"That'd be too easy. As I said, you've already got a reputation. We would expect you to do that. Instead, you take the second question, when our guard is down, thinking the danger is past. Obvious, really." That was the moment that Severus realized he had lost. This boy, this _child,_ had defeated him in a verbal duel. That had not happened since Severus had left Hogwarts, and even then it was a feat only achieved by those few who had known him during his school years, and knew the way he thought. It was ridiculous to think an eleven year old boy could manage it, and a Gryffindor at that. Not to mention the fact that he was James Potter's son, perhaps the most foolish and guileless person Severus had ever had the displeasure of meeting. He had expected the boy to try, at least, some form of cheek, but this? As his eyes flickered around the room both in attempt to avoid the golden eyes that still seemed to mock him as well as judge the reaction of the classroom, Severus found himself both regretful and glad that Harry Potter had not been sorted into Slytherin House. Certainly the boy would have fit in, as was evidenced by the slightly awed looks worn even among the serpents in the room, but the thought of having to deal with his uncanny wit was almost terrifying. No, it was better he stay with the lions, lest such skill be a danger to Severus' pride. Even more so, Severus could perfectly envision another boy, one who had spoken with similar guile, and had nearly brought the Wizarding World to it's knees. The only difference was a green tie worn about his neck, rather than a red.

Even as all these thoughts fluttered through his mind, all in the space of a few seconds, Severus realized he could not leave it at that. It would be nigh impossible for him to save face, or to wipe the amused smirk that now adorned even his godson's face, but it would look almost cowardly to retreat now. So, instead, he grasped the last sliver of hope he had left, one last innocent question that even he could not see a way to twist beyond a childish quip.

"Where would you look then, Mister Potter, if I asked you to find me a Bezoar? That can hardly be taken for a trick question." Even as Severus spoke the words, he was expecting a quick response, quickly tearing down what was left of his pride as a master of words. What he did not expect, however, was for Potter to merely raise a questioning eyebrow at him before sweeping his own gaze over the room in a manner reminiscent of Severus when he had originally entered, before turning back to him. It almost reminded Severus of a King surveying a crowd, right before swinging the execution axe.

"Well, I would imagine the ingredients cabinet would have one, Professor. Otherwise, perhaps you could ask Hermione? She seems to know the answer." And that was the moment Severus realized something that almost made him laugh out loud, if he weren't keeping a tight control on his actions so as not to embarrass himself further. Harry Potter had managed not one, but two things Severus had thought truly impossible. The raven haired boy with those golden eyes had both earned more hatred from the Potions Professor than his father, but had also earned his respect as well.

The mention of the Granger girl was a masterstroke move. Even Severus had barely even noticed the bushy haired Gryffindor practically bouncing in her seat with her hand raised throughout the entire conversation, which in hindsight hadn't even been that long. He really had been far too invested in the short verbal war if he had missed such an obvious thing. Even worse, however, was the way in which Potter used her obvious excitement to impress Severus. He was practically throwing the fact that they were still in the middle of a class in Severus' face. Even worse than that though, was that it was an obvious retreat from the figurative battlefield. In fact, it was a straight up surrender, but even then Potter was only using it to rub his victory in Severus' face. The boy had very purposefully stepped over the line he had very carefully toed throughout the entire line, practically insulting Severus for the entire class to hear, to the point that he would be forced to punish the Gryffindor, even if he didn't want to, if only to retain the respect of the students. Because to them, Potter had merely stood up to Severus, answering him cleverly, but still basically admitting not knowing the answers and eventually screwing up with his blatant disrespect. Only Draco looked like he might have an idea what had truly passed between student and professor, if the spark in his eye was anything to go by. Either way, the other student's ignorance did not change the message hidden in Potter's 'slip'. He was telling Severus in very plain terms that he knew he had won, and Severus had only escaped a worse humiliation by his mercy. He had also used it to end the confrontation, diverting the entire class's attention from Potter onto Granger in such a way that it would be almost impossible to miss his withdrawal from the questioning. If Severus continued, it would seem not only like bullying, but also a sheer waste of time, and Severus was nothing if not a man who valued efficiency above all else. Therefore, he was forced to simply grit his teeth and deal with the consequences of his choice to challenge Potter. The only solace he could take was his determination that next time, because he had little doubt that with this particular person there would always be a next time, he would not lose.

"Five points from Gryffindor, for sheer cheek." Severus did his best to play the part of an annoyed Professor, pushed beyond his boundaries, but it felt hollow. It was made even worse, however, as he proceeded to provide answers to his questions and then continue with the class in his usual style, When he felt two sets of eyes upon him, one blazing in triumph, the other contemplatively amused.


	7. Chapter six: Flying Lessons

**Hello again, my lovely readers! So, for this chapter, I feel like a lot of it would be better discussed after reading, so the actual AN will be down at the bottom.**

 **Also, I apologize for the broken nature of the first part, but it's actually a dream, and that will sorta be explained in the text.**

 **Read, Review, and Relax. Enjoy!**

 _XXX_

 _The cold metal of a blade pressing into flesh, the sensation of a knife's grip._

" _Who are you? Why did you follow me?" The voice, angry and suspicious. An unexpected smile._

" _I've never seen you around before. You looked interesting." The blade presses closer, breaking skin. A red stream flows downwards._

" _I don't do people. They all hate me. They think I'm cursed." A cocked head, the pain ignored. Curious golden eyes burning into green._

" _Because your hair is silver? That's stupid." A clenched hand, the grip digging in._

" _People are stupid. What's your name?" Another grin, a spark of mischief._

" _I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Hesitation._

" _Fine. You first."_

" _Godric Gryffindor. You." A moment passing. A relaxed grip._

" _Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin."_

XXX

"Harry, are you alright?" The black haired boy looked up from his plate of food to see Susan staring at him, a worried look on her face. The expression was understandable, considering Harry had been staring at his plate blankly, his mind caught up in thoughts about the broken dreams that had plagued him since his first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and subsequent rescue by Draco and the others. As such, Harry offered her a shrug in response.

"I'm fine. Just haven't been able to get a good night's sleep recently." He tried to give a reassuring smile, but was too tired to manage it. He'd only been up for about half an hour, and ever since the dreams started, he had been getting even less sleep than before. Granted, it wasn't nearly as detrimental to him as it would be to others, considering the brimming energy he had been filled with since day one at Hogwarts, but it did result in his brain taking a while to fully wake up in the morning. Susan didn't seem to mind it, however, which wasn't all that surprising since she too seemed to be plagued by similar problems, although Harry wasn't aware what was causing hers. It was strange, really, how so many different things seemed to affect both of them at the same time. Harry had even learned at one point that Susan had also suffered a change in eye color, her now black orbs having once been brown. The young girl hadn't even been aware of the change until he mentioned it, claiming that she didn't spend much time in front of mirrors, 'unlike all the other foolish girls her age.'

The Brunette seemed to take his answer as enough, turning back to idly listen to Ron droning on about how awesome flying classes were going to be that day. Harry listened as well, his curiosity piqued now that his thoughts were drifting into a more active state. In fact, as he glanced around the great hall, it seemed to be all anybody was talking about. The entirety of the first years were going to be sharing a class, if Harry remembered correctly, despite the fact that normally they were split up into two groups. As such, everyone he knew was either jittery with nerves and doing last minute preparations, such as Hermione with-were those flash cards!?- or r ridiculously excited, gloating and gossiping about past achievements with broomsticks. Harry, himself, likely would have shared their sentiments if he weren't still distracted by the memory of his dream. It was the clearest one since he had started having them, most slipping away after Harry woke up. Even then, they were more fragments of thoughts, just a word, phrase, or impression that was short lived before changing into something else. This one was different however. Sure, it was broken and nigh impossible to understand, but most if not all the thoughts were connected, as if he was getting flashes of a complete scene. Even the words themselves formed into almost coherent sentences, although their meaning and context escaped him. What was even more disturbing, however, were the names, spoken so vividly that Harry doubted he would ever forget them, or the weight they had seemed to carry.

Deciding that he had had enough reminiscing for the time being, Harry shoved the memories aside to be dealt with later. He was just in time to see a Slytherin, Theodore Nott if he remembered correctly, saunter over to the Gryffindor table and scoop something out of Neville's hands, Crabbe and Goyle behind him. _Well,_ Harry as he rose deliberately from his seat. _At least they're no longer following Draco around like lost puppy dogs. Seems they've found a new master._ Smirking internally, Harry walked slowly up behind the boy who was now taunting Neville, not wanting to alert the teachers and get them involved. Knowing his luck, Nott would get off without even a warning. Carefully, he clamped down on Nott's shoulder with a hand, speaking in a low tone.

"That's not yours, Nott." The boy in question jumped in surprise, before turning slowly to face Harry. The two boy's instantaneously had the attention of the entire table, everyone around them falling quiet.

"Potter. What's it to you?" Nott responded cooly, a look of disdain on his smiled slightly and dropped his hand from Nott's shoulder, glancing at Neville before returning his gaze to the Slytherin.

"You're messing with my house. I can't let that happen."Nott looked like he was about to say something, but then he looked past Harry and suddenly turned pale. He quickly turned around and dropped the clear orb he had been holding back in front of Neville before retreating back to the Slytherin table, his new cronies following close behind. Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Harry turned around to see what it was behind him that would scare the other boy off. He was met with the frowning face of Professor McGonagall, who did not look very happy.

"Mr. Potter, is there a problem over here?" Harry glanced back to the Gryffindor table where everyone was still watching him, most with confused looks on their faces, before turning to the Professor.

"None, Professor. I was merely helping my housemates out with a small property dispute. Nothing for you to worry yourself with."McGonagall narrowed her eyes in suspicion, looking unconvinced, but after a few brief moments of scrutinizing the boy, only gave a brief nod before departing, her cloak swirling imperiously around her as she returned to the head table. Harry watched her go with a small grin on his face, glad he had been able to avoid a fuss. He gave a shocked Neville a small clap on the shoulders before returning to his own seat, where Ron was looking at him with an awestruck expression.

"You might want to close your mouth Ron. A fly might get in." The ginger quickly heeded the advice, but his face remained frozen, as if he couldn't completely comprehend what had just happened. It took a few minutes for him to finally shake his head, clearing his face as he looked at where Harry was still eating his eggs as if nothing happened.

"How do you do it, mate?" Harry gave him a confused look, unsure of what the ginger meant.

"Do what?"

"McGonagall mate! You just smile at her and she believes everything you say. Even Snape. I could've sworn he would take at least twenty points off Gryffindor when you talked back in class, He's supposed to be really vicious towards our house. Instead, he only takes five! What's with that?"Harry shrugged, having no idea what the taller boy was getting so worked up about.

"I guess I'm just that good? I don't know, all I do is tell the truth."Harry was starting to think Ron had some sort of fixation with staring at him, because he was doing it again. Slowly, the ginger turned towards Susan, barely taking his eyes off Harry.

"You know what I'm talking about right, Susan?" The girl smiled softly

"He is right, Harry. You have a way of getting out of trouble." Harry just shook his head at both of them in exasperation. His friends could be really weird sometimes.

"Whatever. Let's just finish breakfast. We've got to get to the flying lessons soon." he didn't wait for their response, digging into his meal with gusto in an attempt to avoid their weirdness. After they all finished their meal, Harry and Susan taking the longest as usual, the trio rushed off to the front lawn of the castle, Luna trailing behind as usual. When they got there, several students were already gathered around, including Nott and his new cronies, who were glaring at the quartet. All four ignored the Slytherins, opting instead to chat as they waited for the rest of the students and the teacher. After a while, all the first years were gathered around dozens of brooms laid out on the ground, with a silver haired woman called Madame Hooch telling them to order their brooms up. Harry's came instantly, but most of the other students were struggling, with a several who's brooms didn't respond. It was almost amusing, actually, especially when he saw the look on Madame Hooch's face as she watched her students fail miserably.

Finally, after a few minutes of this, the woman seemed to realize it wasn't going to get better, and instead told everyone to just pick up their brooms. She then went around correcting everyone's hold, which was nearly as amusing. So many people had it wrong, even those who had been boasting about doing it for years, that Harry couldn't help but wonder how many of their stories were true. Obviously not as many as everyone had thought. Eventually, Madame Hooch was satisfied. Well that or she couldn't be bothered to care anymore. Harry was voting for the latter, but either way she informed that they were finally going to get to actually attempt to fly, and he finally started to feel excited. They were really about to be soaring through the sky on nothing more than a stick just a few inches wide. Sure, that may sound dangerous and insane to most people, but not Harry. It was a challenge, and even more of the amazingness that made up the magical world.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, kick off from the ground, your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle-three-two-" Just as Harry was starting to be disappointed that they were only going to fly a few feet, Neville, who had been rather jumpy the entire time they had been out with the brooms, jumped unexpectedly. The rotund boy's broom shot up, carrying him with it, and Hooch started calling for him to come down. Harry could easily tell that her words were having no effect. Neville was far too frightened to focus on anything except the fact that he was now rising uncontrollably into the air. Harry saw the fall coming miles away, but could do nothing except watch helplessly as Neville's grip slipped, and he fell to the ground with a sickening crunch. The entire class froze. Only Hooch moved, kneeling down beside Neville, checking his wrist as she spoke soothing words to him. After a few moments she stood, pulling the boy with her as she looked back to the class.

"None of you are to move while I take him to the hospital wing. If you even think of picking up those brooms, I'll have you out the school before you can say Quidditch." Harry raised an eyebrow at the woman's retreating form. Expulsion did seem like a rather harsh punishment… then again, one student had already nearly died, and that was while the teacher was actually there. Before Harry could reason with himself more either way, he was distracted by a shout to the side.

"Hey, look, it's that thing Longbottom's grandmother sent him!" Harry looked over at where the disturbance was to find Nott holding up Neville's new Rememberall, the little glass orb shining in the sunlight. Realizing that the Slytherin wasn't likely to do the good thing and return Neville's missing property, Harry took a step forward.

"Nott, I believe I already told you. That there doesn't belong to you. Give it here." Nott just sneered at him, tossing the ball up and down.

"And what are you going to do to make me, Potter. No, I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find it." The boy climbed onto his broom and started to rise, the sneer turning into a confident smirk. "How about up a tree?" Harry didn't even hesitate, immediately jumping onto his own broom. He ignored Susan's cry of "Harry, no!" instead kicking off and rising steadily into the air to match Nott. The sudden feeling was exhilarating. He couldn't understand what Neville and the others were afraid of, this was amazing. He felt the slight tug on his magic as it powered the broom, but it was so slight he almost missed it. Matching Nott's level, he gave the other boy a feral grin.

"Come on Nott. Give it over and I won't have to knock you off your broom. Unless you want to end up like Neville as well. There's no minions up here to protect you." Nott seemed to pale as he realized Harry was right. Crabbe and Goyle were still sitting on the ground, looking up dumbly at them. He must have noticed that Harry had far better control of his broom-Nott wasn't a very sturdy flier it seemed- and that Harry could likely make good on his around frantically, the boy searched for an exit. It didn't take long for him to decide on one, and Harry frowned when he saw the sudden grin appear on Nott's face.

"Alright then Potter. Take it." With only that as warning, Nott threw the Rememberall at Harry, putting as much force his eleven year old frame could into the throw without unbalancing himself. Immediately after he dived for the ground, but Harry didn't care as he was too busy worrying about the Rememberall. Sheer reflexes saved him from getting beamed in the face, his hand snapping up to catch the ball a mere inch before it slammed into his nose. Bringing it down, he inspected the item curiously. It didn't seem all that important, just a small glass ball, but it was important to Neville, who was, if not a friend, a good acquaintance. Looking down at the ground, Harry grinned at the shocked expression on Nott's face. The other boy had likely planned on knocking him out so that he fell from his broom, but that plan obviously didn't work. Harry would just land, but he didn't exactly want to stop flying yet, and he felt like screwing with Nott some more. If he was so shocked by a simple catch, Harry wondered, what would happen if he did something more… drastic? Tossing the ball from hand to hand, Harry shouted down to the ground.

"Come on, what are you scared of? It's not that hard… oops!" On the last toss, Harry allowed the ball to 'slip' through his grasp, and it started to fall to the earth. Harry's hand followed, sending his whole body lurching over the side of his broom. There were several cries from below, but Harry ignored them, instead concentrating on his planned manoeuver. He cut the flow of magic from himself to the broom, suddenly allowing himself to drop, even though he kept one hand on it. Being a full eleven year old boy rather than a hollow glass ball, his weight allowed him to quickly catch up to the falling Rememberall, the air rushing past him as he unconsciously let out a whoop. Timing it just right, he used his hand still on the broom to swing himself back up,scooping the ball into the other as he reengaged the magical flight, bringing himself to a stoop just a few feet above the ground. It was amazing, just how much control Harry had over his broom. He felt like he could do anything on it. Right then wasn't necessarily the time, however, as the entire first year of Hogwarts was running at him and cheering, except the Slytherin's of course.

Harry dropped the last few feet to touch down just as the crowd surrounded him, patting and congratulating him on pulling off such an amazing feat. Harry grinned back-until he heard a very angry brunette stomping towards him.

"Harry, what on earth were you thinking? You could have been killed!" Susan had a terrifying look on her face as she marched up to Harry to glare him directly in the eye. He almost took a step back in fear, especially when he saw her hair starting to float around her. The girl's magic was starting to swirl around them, she was so angry. He didn't, however. Instead, Harry stared her back, reaching into his own magic. He honestly had no idea how to summon a shield, and he doubted that Susan would actually attack him, but she did have a _lot_ of magic. If she lost control, he doubted even a teacher would be capable of stopping the fallout. He, Luna, Draco, and possibly Dumbledore were the only ones in the school with enough sheer magical power .Harry wasn't entirely sure what could happen, but he had read that the destructive capabilities of accidental magic could be bad even for a normal wizard if they were angry enough, and they were right in the middle of a bunch of other students. So he prepared his own magic, hoping that his reflexes would be able to kick in if needed and direct it, and looked her in the eye calmly.

"Yes, but I didn't. I'm perfectly fine." That probably wasn't the right thing to say. Susan's glare only turned harder, and it definitely wasn't helped by Ron's addition of, "Yeah, leave him alone Susan." Harry could have sworn she really was going to blow up, and was using what little control he had managed to learn from his lessons to surround the two, hoping that he would somehow be able to block her wrathful magic. It ended up not being needed, however, as Susan just continued glaring.

"You- you- gah! _boys!_ " With one last cry, the brunette turned away and marched off, her magic still roiling around her but Harry could tell it wasn't about to blow up anymore now that she wasn't still faced with the object of her anger-namely, him. It was the only reason he didn't chase her down. Not that he had much of a chance to, because a few seconds after she left, another voice, far older and sterner, called out to him. Right after he turned around, he regretted the action. Professor McGonagall was _not_ happy, but at least she wasn't a potential walking time bomb. Even if she wasn't both far out of the age range for accidental magic as well as in far better control of her own, the woman's core wasn't anywhere near as vast as Susan's. This, however, did not give Harry any comfort. The woman did have the power to expel him, and that nearly frightened him as much as Susan blowing up the entire first year class. He really didn't want to go back to the Dursley's. After being ordered to follow her into the school rather angrily, Harry came to the conclusion that he was most definitely going to be expelled, and that he would likely have to come up with some plan, since there was no way he was going back to the Dursley's.

It was as they walked briskly through the halls that Harry realized something, nearly stopping in his tracks as the thought brought a sudden hope to his mind. McGonagall hadn't actually been there when Hooch gave the order to stay on the ground or be expelled. She couldn't possibly have heard her from inside the castle, so while the golden eyed wizard didn't doubt that he was going to be punished for doing something incredibly dangerous and reckless, but maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be expelled. Unless Hooch had somehow spread the knowledge of what her punishment would be. That would still mean he was expelled.

Wrestling with his thoughts and fears, Harry paid little attention to where they were going until something suddenly tugged at his senses, a dark aura he had become very familiar with. Harry had hesitantly returned to DADA only after Ron practically dragged him there, the ginger not understanding Harry's reluctance. Even Susan, who also wished Harry didn't go back, couldn't stop Ron. Luckily, nothing had happened, and Harry was then forced to sit through an incredibly boring class where Quirrell attempted to stutter through more than three sentences in an hour. The Professor had thrown him a few strange glances, but otherwise there had been no further attack. The creature remained, but it was almost docile, as if it had gone to sleep in a way. Whatever the case was, Harry had fully familiarized himself with the feeling, just in case Quirrell attempted to sneak up on him and attack when Harry wasn't looking.

Harry did his best to hide himself behind the door when McGonagall opened it into Quirrell's classroom and asked to borrow 'Wood' whatever that was. It almost sounded like something you would call a beating cane, but Harry doubted the Professor's here were so obtuse, or cruel. Although, given that it _was_ coming from Quirrell, anything was possible.

Wood ended up being a person, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, actually. Apparently, instead of punishing him, McGonagall had decided that he would be good for the team. A chaser, whatever that was. Harry remembered the term from somewhere, likely one of the many Quidditch rants Ron tended to go on, but otherwise he wasn't sure. Wood seemed a little unsure of McGonagall's claim, stating that Harry looked more like a seeker, which he assumed was another position on the team, but McGonagall insisted. When Harry asked why, McGonagall gave him a mysterious smile.

"It's in the blood. Your father would be proud." With that, She turned and walked away, leaving both Wood and Harry to find their way back to class. Wood gave harry a warm goodbye, and then turned back into the classroom. Harry, on the other hand, was completely lost. The boy was still trying to figure out what exactly had happened. A few minutes before, he had been making plans to live on the streets of London, and now he was a player on a team for a sport he had no idea how to play? Maybe Harry _did_ have a way of getting out of trouble. Ron would be ecstatic to here about this. First though, he had to find Susan. Harry was sure she had probably calmed down by now, and he didn't want to risk this whole thing breaking their friendship. Susan was a really nice girl, and one of his only friends, just as he was one of hers, but Harry had never had much experience with friends, and wasn't sure how this could affect those facts. He hoped they wouldn't at all.

With his plan in mind, Harry strode down the hall, intent on hunting down his wayward friend.

XXX

 **Alright, so I hope you all enjoyed that one, and now it's time for me to explain a few things that may have popped up.**

 **First, I apologize for the whole Nott thing, I personally hate it when people just replace Draco with another random Slytherin if he's off taking another role, but I literally needed there to be** _ **someone**_ **to antagonize Harry into several of the situations while I'm still stuck so close to canon. I did my best to make it different, since both he and Harry are very different from canon-Harry and Draco. Still, it happened, and I know I might have pissed off a few people with it. To those who actually stayed to see my explanation, I will say that it will only last until about Fourth Year, at most. After that, we will be so far off canon that I won't need it, and until then I will do my best to limit the problem.**

 **Now, for those of you who think I may have been overstating or exaggerating Harry's reaction to Susan getting pissed. First, accidental magic** _ **is**_ **a thing. I refuse to believe it stops just because you get to Hogwarts, and anger would probably cause rather destructive manifestations. Also, Susan, who may not have a lot of control but does have an extreme amount of magic to spare, likely could leave at least a sizable crater in Hogwarts grounds, as could the rest of the circle(Harry, Draco, and Luna). Now remember, while they may have sheer magical power that already compares to Dumbledore if not surpasses, they have nowhere near enough control or knowledge to be able to utilize that power at will. Also, they're actually not done growing yet. By the time they are, they will far outstrip Dumbledore in both power and skill, but I'll leave that for later. And yes, Dumbledore could probably have stopped any sort of outburst on the level Susan could have had, but Harry doesn't know what Dumbledore's skills are, only his power level.**

 **Now, for those of you who caught the whole thing about Harry being a chaser, not a seeker. I actually was not planning that, and it literally just wrote itself when I got to that part, but I decided to keep it since it made sense. First of all, the move Harry pulled off in this AU was far more like a chaser than a seeker, as opposed to canon. Not to mention the fact that James was actually a chaser, who happened to have some seeker skills. He may have been seeker in his seventh year, but I can't quite remember. Either way, he was mainly a chaser. Also, while Harry is a seeker build now, within a year or two he will have grown to a chaser build do to the various other things going on. Actually, he may be closer to beater than chaser, but both his temperament and skills will still be chaser, so he'll just be a bit burly for the role.**

 **Also, since someone probably noticed and is yelling at their screen that Wood was in Flitwick's class in the books, and Quirrell's was the movies, I know that. However, it was a good way to explain what happened after the first DADA class and whether Harry ever went back. He did, and Voldemort is leaving him alone for now, but it won't necessarily remain that way.**

 **Anyways, that should be all for now. Don't forget to leave a review, and I will be seeing you all later. If you're lucky, it might even be in just a day or two, since that's sort of the plan. See ya!**


	8. Chapter Seven: Best Friends

**Welcome back to The Founder's Circle! So, I think I'm about on time for this one, but if I'm off a bit one way or the other, feel free to sue me. You won't get much out of it anyways.**

 **Alright, so a few announcements to start things off. First, I am back in school now, so the updates may be coming slower or faster, depending on how exactly things work out with my schedule, but expect slower because I tend to have very little time after getting home on the weekdays, except Friday. Second… actually I think that's all of my general statements. Huh.**

 **Okay, so about the chapter, this one is mainly the fallout of last chapter. We get to see Harry and Susan have a conversation in the first part where they work out her whole pissed off moment and then have a bit of a cute bonding moment. Honestly, that part of the chapter annoyed the living hell out of me, since Susan isn't really meant to be an angry character, or at least not yet. Even later, she does more motherly rage where it's terrifying but you know you'll come out alive and mostly unharmed if you don't screw up too badly. Anyways, I even mentioned in the text that she really is not good at being angry, and as such her character really fought me in writing her. Even Harry straight up says it to her face, so you know it's pretty obvious. Also, it's really hard to write eleven year olds.**

 **Alright, so for the second part of the chapter, I had a far easier time, though I have had better. Basically, Dumbledore be Dumbledore and tries to get Harry to switch to playing seeker so he can be all famous and loyal, not to mention isolated. He wants Harry to have a few good friends, but outside of that he needs Harry to be alone so that he can't get too out of control. Basically Dumbly being nasty, but not necessarily evil, since evil really is a strong word. Basically the guy is going to be a right conniving bastard, get in the circle's way, and eventually be at least some form of enemy, but he's not necessarily evil. His goals and the main character's goals just don't match up. Anyways, Harry catches onto what Dumbledore is doing and pretty much just says STFU while walking away like a boss. Or something along those lines.**

 **Also, I just wanted to note that a lot of you do have a point about Harry and Susan being really close. However, I was doing that because I originally planned for them to be more of a brotherly sisterly pair, which is still sorta in the works, so if and when they continue to be all cutesy, don't think that it is a sure sign of them being a couple. At this point, it could go either way, especially when Hermione finally joins the party.**

 **Alright, so that should pretty much do it for now, so I'll probably let you go. Next chapter I will definitely cover the challenge and first time meeting Fluffy the cerberus, and possibly if it turns out to be short enough or work well enough, I'll include the troll, where Hermione** _ **finally**_ **joins the group, and we lose the deadweight named Ron. So with that, I will leave you to it. Read, Review, and Relax. Enjoy!**

XXX

"Susan."

"Harry." Susan watched coldly as the black haired boy jerked in response to the sheer animosity she had put into saying his name. She had not expected him to hunt her down in the library, that being the place she had sequestered herself to while she cooled off. Therefore,, she was still practically brimming with anger at the foolish actions Harry had taken earlier that day.

"I'm still mad at you." She hoped that would be enough to chase him away. Susan didn't really want to talk to Harry while she was angry, not trusting herself to avoid breaking their still young friendship. Harry, however, didn't seem to share that sentiment.

"I know. I was hoping we could talk." Susan nearly blanched at the thought as she struggled to keep herself from blurting all the things she wanted to yell at him about how stupid that stunt of his was, and how worried she had been, but managed to remain impassive, her face a stone sculpture as Harry continued. "Why were you so angry with me? What did I do?"

"You know what."

"Yes, but why was it such a big deal to you? Sure, I may have broken a rule, but it was just so that I could keep Nott from doing something mean with Neville's Rememberall." Susan sighed heavily at his explanation. She didn't care about the rules.

"Harry, that's not the problem. I'm mad because you didn't even stop to think of what you were doing. What if yu had been hurt?" Her mask finally broke, and the brunette sent her friend a pleading glance, begging silently for him to understand. It didn't seem to work.

"But It turned out fine. Not a scratch on me. Turns out I'm a pretty decent flyer."Susan shook her head.

"I know you didn't hurt yourself, but that didn't stop me from worrying. You're my friend, Harry, one of my only friends. If you had been hurt, expelled, or even killed, how do you think that would've made me feel? Two of those options would mean I wouldn't have you as a friend anymore." Susan studied Harry's reactions as he listened to her words. His face morphed through several emotions as she spoke, first surprise, then confusion, then it turned into one of apology.

"I guess you're right, but what about Ron, or Hannah? Aren't they your friends too?" Susan shook her head, smiling sadly.

"Ron, I suppose, is okay, even if he is a prat most of the time. Hannah… well I did grow up with her, but it was mostly political posturing since our family's are closely allied with each other. She is my friend, yes, but it's really more out of convenience than anything. No, Harry, you might actually be my best friend. Because of that, it really worried me when you jumped on a broom that you had no idea how to use and started to stupid stunts that could have very easily gotten you killed. You didn't even stop to think about what I would say! It really feelings." Harry seemed to think about that for a moment or two, before giving Susan a chagrined smile.

"Well, I am a Gryffindor. Running headlong into danger is what we do best, right?" Susan flushed bright red as the anger that had been slowly draining away as she put her thoughts into words returned. He couldn't use the house mottos like that, it just wasn't fair!

"That's not the point, Harry! You had no idea how to use a broom, and we were expressly told not to try until Madame Hooch came back! Is my friendship worth so little that you would risk it just to put Nott down?" At least Harry had the common decency to look ashamed. He glanced away, not daring to meet Susan's eyes.

"No, that's not it at all. I really do care about your friendship, Susan. You're probably my best friend too." Susan's flush suddenly turned from scarlet to a bright pink as her anger suddenly turned into embarrassment at that simple statement. She really wasn't designed for holding grudges. To be honest, she wouldn't have even still been so angry at Harry when he found her if she hadn't been so afraid that he might not think her friendship as important as she did his. Now, with him stating that she was his best friend… well, it was a surprise to say the least.

"W-what?"

"Yeah! You're right about Ron, he can be a right prat about a lot of things, and even though I technically met you after him, and we're in different houses and all, I prefer hanging out with you. You're a lot nicer and far more sensible than him. Plus," His voice suddenly turned low and he looked away in embarrassment. "I think he might only like hanging out with me so much because I'm The Boy Who Lived. We don't really have much in common if you think about it." Susan suddenly felt terrible for the boy sitting across from her, who was looking very pointedly at a blank spot on the library table. Without stopping to think about how he might react, she stood up from where she had been sitting and moved around to wrap him in a hug, surprising even herself. Susan had never exactly been a touching kind of person, at least not outside of her family. The only reason she even let Hannah hug her was because she had learned long ago there was no way to avoid those things. Now though, with this raven haired boy looking so lost at the thought of someone only being his friend because of his title, Susan felt there was a need to remind him that that wasn't the only reason someone would care for him.

At first Harry flinched from the contact, worrying Susan, but she didn't let him escape. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him close, ignoring the awkward positioning caused by her being standing while he was still sitting. Eventually, the boy seemed to relax a bit, shifting more into the embrace while tentatively reaching his own arms up to encircle Susan. They held the pose for a few seconds more, before Susan finally drew away and smiled softly at him.

"Don't worry, Ron's just an idiot. If he can't realize how good of a person you are without attributing it to your title, then it's not worth worrying about. And you don't have to worry about me thinking the same thing either. You broke my preconceptions about The Boy Who Lived the first day I met you, even if I didn't realize it at the time." The look of shock on Harry's face that was still lingering from the hug quickly morphed into a smile of gratitude, and he flashed it at her.

"Thanks for that. I've gotta say, I wasn't expecting that to happen when I came looking for you. If anything, I thought I would be the one comforting you." Susan laughed lightly, her smile growing wider.

"Yeah, but isn't that what we Hufflepuff's do? Be friendly and helpful?" Harry looked mortified at first by the fact that she had turned his own usage of house values against him, but Susan suddenly grew fearful as a savage gleam entered his eyes.

"Yes, quite. You really didn't make a good angry person." Susan's eyes narrowed at the odd comment.

"What do you mean, I didn't make a good angry person?"

"Well, you kept trying to glare at me, but it really wasn't working."

"You looked away! You were afraid!"

"Actually, you were just so adorable that I had to look away so I didn't laugh out loud. You were trying so hard to be intimidating, I didn't want to ruin it for you." Susan gaped at Harry in horror. Had she really been so ineffective? Annoyance growing, she focused on him, doing her best to level a glare that would actually scare the young boy who now wore a cocky grin.

"You take that back!" Harry's grin just grew wider as he quickly got out of his chair and started to back away slowly.

"Nah, don't think I will. I can't deny the truth." Susan, noticing that his eyes were now flittting back and forth, looking for an escape route, slowly started to advance, her glare growing more pronounced.

"Take. It. Back." Harry's smile, which she had been hoping would start to look strained as the boy realized that she was getting angry again, instead widened, and the mischievous glint turned into a full blown sparkle.

"No thanks. I think I'll- Oh, look, a dragon wearing a tiara!" Susan tried to fight her instincts, she really did. It was so obviously a distraction, but she just couldn't help herself as her head snapped to look at the random bookshelf Harry had been pointing to in a knee-jerk reaction. By the time she looked back, he was already sprinting down one of the aisles, his school robes flapping behind him in the wind of his escape. Without hesitating, Susan was after him, her own robes flapping as she tried to keep up with the slightly speedier boy.

She would show him just how good she was at being mean!

XXX

Dumbledore smiled slightly as he watched his students eat their dinner. The school year had been progressing well so far, and his plans along with it. Young Harry was already well set, having both the Weasley boy and the two wItches with extraordinary powers near him at almost all times. It also helped that one of those girls was a Bones, who could be an important political ally eventually, especially with her magical potential. He had been slightly concerned earlier that day when he heard about their short spat in the middle of their flying lesson, childhood friendships are rather fragile after all, but it turned out to be nothing as they were even now sitting together for dinner, chatting away happily. However, the thought did bring up another concern that had arisen from the same lesson.

Dumbledore was not surprised that McGonagall had seen fit to claim Harry for her house's quidditch team. It _was_ in the boy's blood, after all. What he did have a slight problem with was the boy being placed as a chaser rather than a seeker. Seekers were the ones who received all the glory and praise for their victory, and were the most important player on the team. Chasers, however, received little to no praise, except as a group. After all, more often than not a seeker would decide the match regardless of how well the chasers and keepers did amongst themselves. Their role was primarily to keep the audience's attention while the seekers hunted down the snitch. It would not do for Harry to fade into the group as unimportant. He needed that praise as incentive to stay at Hogwarts

Dumbledore had already arranged for a meeting with the boy. He was certain that he could convince him to switch to the post to seeker. After all, what child, especially one who had lacked recognition of almost any kind his whole life, would turn something like that down. Dumbledore doubted that McGonagall had fully explained just how important the position was. With that in mind, he rose from his table and traveled to his office, his great mind working on several of the various projects he had going on at the moment. It did not take long, however, for him to receive a warning from the wards that the boy was outside.

"Enter." Dumbledore called out, making sure to use his kindest grandfather voice from the very beginning. He would need Harry to trust him, both for this matter and various others. Dumbledore observed the boy closely as he entered, noting everywhere he looked. Harry's eyes drifted around the room as he slowly walked to its center, pausing for brief intervals on the many different magical contraptions the Headmaster kept around it. Most interestingly, however, was the way they lingered for even longer periods of time on seemingly blank patches of wall. Dumbledore wondered why that would be, but quickly attributed it to the thoughts and questions that must be running through the boy's head distracting him. It certainly didn't take long, less time than expected really, for the boy to finish his inspection and focus on the old wizard sitting behind his desk and exuding as kind an aura as he could manage.

"You summoned me, Headmaster?" Dumbledore smiled slightly as the boy sat down in the chair across from him, glad at hearing the strong curiosity from the boy. At least he wasn't unintelligent, although that may make it more difficult for him to be steered onto his needed path. Dumbledore would have to watch out for and limit that, to a point. It could cause great damage if the boy were to notice that his actions weren't entirely his own.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. I'm afraid I must speak with you about your recent posting to the Gryffindor quidditch team." As he had expected, Harry suddenly became nervous, shifting slightly and a telltale flickering of his eyes becoming apparent for a second. Still, the boy held up remarkably well, quickly returning his gaze to Dumbledore's with a sudden defiance in his eyes.

"If this is about me stopping Nott, Professor McGonagall already decided not to punish me."Dumbledore merely chuckled, and it wasn't even forced. The boy had spirit! To challenge him, the Headmaster, and a ruling of punishment certainly wasn't something a coward would do. Yes, Harry Potter was most definitely a Gryffindor, not that there'd been any doubt. In fact, the circumstance the boy was speaking of was already proof of that.

"No, no, my boy. You misunderstand. I do not mean to punish you, nor to even take away your posting. I was merely wondering if you could tell me why you chose to play as a chaser on the team." Dumbledore smiled gently, both to himself and for the effect of making his inquiry seem more innocent. Harry only looked mildly startled, but quickly shrugged, as if he could care less about what position he played anyways.

"It was what McGonagall suggested. I didn't know enough about the sport to think any other position would be better, although Wood seemed to think I would be a better seeker." Dumbledore's smile widened just a fraction, not nearly enough for anyone except those who were looking for such a change to notice. HArry had just given him the perfect in without even realizing it.

"Ah, yes, seeker. A fine position to play, very important. What do you know of it?" Harry shrugged again, but Dumbledore caught just the slightest glimpse of narrowing eyes.

"Not much, except that seekers are supposed to be fast and light, like me. I think Ron might have said something about them getting targeted a lot though. I guess that would make sense if they were important."

"Well, the seeker could most certainly be argued as an important, perhaps even _the_ most important player on the team. They are the ones who catch the golden snitch, a small winged ball that flies around the quidditch pitch, ending the game and earning their team one hundred and fifty points. More often than not, this will win their team the match, making skilled fliers a priority for their position. They are also the most beloved of players, as their team's victory rests almost solely upon their shoulders, and highly successful seekers are almost always remembered, even long after they have died." Dumbledore watched Harry's face carefully for any sign of change, any sign that the boy was growing excited and desirous of the position, but strangely there was nothing. Instead, the raven haired boy merely shrugged, a disinterested look commanding his features.

"Sounds like the seeker is almost wholly separate from the team, especially in terms of glory. I think I'd prefer to just work with my team anyways. Otherwise, what's the point of it being a team sport? They should just call it snitch hunting with a sideshow instead. Besides, I could imagine that the whole team dislikes the seeker, just because they get all the credit." Dumbledore felt his heart sink as he listened to the boy speak. This was not good. He would have to do something fast before the boy threw away the advantages being a seeker would bring.

"Yes, but they earn it. To catch a snitch takes both incredible skill and quick reflexes. It is very difficult to see, and even harder to intercept. Not to mention the fact that without them, a game has no way to end. You cannot blame people for favoring the seeker's accomplishments, especially when they almost always change the course of a match. One good seeker can save a team with floundering chasers." Harry grinned then, but for some reason, Dumbledore doubted that it was because he had suddenly been convinced of the merits of seekers.

"Ah, but Headmaster, that saying works both ways, does it not? A good group of chasers could earn such an advantage that even if the enemy seeker were to catch the snitch, their team would still win. Not to mention, most of the other team would have an effect on that outcome as well, if I remember Ron explaining the rules right. The keeper, to prevent the opponents from catching up, and beaters to both clear the way and protect the chasers. Everybody works together, and if you're good enough, the enemy won't stand a chance either way. If you have an awesome seeker as well, then that just adds insult to injury. No, I think it would be quite a bit more interesting to stay as a chaser, so you can stop trying to convince me to change to seeker, Headmaster. I'll trust the judgement of the one who actually saw me fly." Dumbledore was taken aback. The boy had somehow figured out that he was hinting at Harry playing seeker. That in itself was quite surprising, although the wizened wizard did suppose he may have been pushing the merits of the seeker position a bit hard. What was more astounding though, was the boy's audacity to question him, as well as reason out a far better argument for his own chaser position. This must have been what Severus had been complaining about after his first class with the boy, the near deadly combination of razor wit and rebellious courage. It was far more than the sheer confidence that had resided within the boy's own father, or even the cleverness of his mother. It would have made both of them extremely proud if they could have seen it.

"You have caught me, it seems. I suppose there is nothing I can do to change your mind?" Dumbledore spoke in a jovial tone, playing the role of a man caught in a simple prank rather than the subtle manipulations that truly endorsed, but as he did so his mind was racing. Such intelligence could be a dangerous thing, especially when coupled with the courage to use it. The boy could eventually become rebellious, and that was something he would need to keep an eye on.

"No, Headmaster. I do have a favor to ask, though." Dumbledore raised a curious eyebrow as his troublesome student stood and started wandering back to the door.

"Oh?" He questioned, barely keeping his irritation at the way Harry seemed to be dismissing himself out of his voice. He was soon glad that Harry had not bothered to stay any longer, however, when he heard his parting words, spoken over Harry's shoulder in a flippant tone as he disappeared out the door.

"Keep me out of your manipulations, whatever they are." Yes, Dumbledore was very glad Harry was gone.

It would not do for the boy to see him angry.


	9. Chapter Eight: Who let the dogs in?

**Yello peoples! I. Am. Baaaaaaaaaaack!**

 **Okay, that was kinda creepy. Anyways, here's another chapter for you guys, since I am really eager to get to the troll scene, and I really hope you lot are too. Now, this one probably isn't one of my best works, except maybe the middle bit, but I hope you still manage to enjoy it. I also apologize for the abrupt ending, but it was actually meant to be that way for a reason, so don't go wild over it please. Also, I wanted to mention that this chapter, and most of the ones in the near future, was and will be written in a slightly different process than normal. See, normally I just sit down and pump out three to five thousand words in one big session of several hours. However, because I have to get up at freaking six in the morning to catch the bus to school, I also have to go to bed really early too. Add into that homework and other things going on, and I really don't have much time to do much of any writing at all, let alone massive sessions. So, this one was actually written out over several days. If you could, tell me which one you prefer, so that when I actually have a choice I can decide whether to stick with this way or go back to the original.**

 **Now then, it's getting late and I sadly have other stuff to do, so I'll let you guys go. Read, Review, and Relax. Enjoy!**

XXX

Harry looked up in surprise when he felt something leathery smack into his face, drawing his attention away from his food. His newfound reflexes barely allowed him to catch whatever it was that had hit him, stopping it from falling into his bowl of soup. Closer inspection revealed it to be a dragonhide glove, dyed red with something that looked eerily like blood. Glancing around, Harry looked for whoever had thrown the odd item at him. He didn't have to look far.

"Potter. I challenge you to a formal duel. You have slighted my honor, and the house of Nott will not stand for it." Harry raised an eyebrow at the boy standing in front of him, before glancing around. They were in the Great Hall for dinner time, and nearly all the other students who were eating were now staring at them in awe. Even Ron and Susan, who also looked a bit worried, seemed amazed. Harry couldn't blame them, really. To challenge him to a duel in the middle of the Great Hall? Nott had some stones. Then again, from the sound of his words, it sounded more political than anything. Either that, or he was trying to scare Harry away by creating a large audience. Either way, it didn't matter.

"When and where?" Harry tossed the glove back at the boy, a smirk crossing his face at the shocked look the other boy was wearing. Apparently he wasn't expecting Harry to over it quickly however, Nott frowned before leaning over the Gryffindor table Harry was seated at before hissing his reply quietly.

"Midnight, Trophy Room. Wands only, no contact. Goyle's my second." Harry raised another eyebrow at him, his smirk widening slightly.

"Oh? I thought you said you wanted an official duel. How is that meant to happen if it's past curfew?' Nott's eyes narrowed slightly before he responded, his voice growing taunting.

"I said official, not public. I thought I'd spare your dignity. Then again, I doubt you're _courageous_ enough to come."Harry scoffed, amused by the pathetic taunt.

"I'd be more worried about you not showing, but I suppose if you've got your little minions there it won't be so bad. At least we'll be on foot this time, so you can hide behind them if need be." Harry was fairly glad that Crabbe and Goyle were too stupid to realize that he had just insulted them. Vastly overpowered magical core or not, he doubted he'd be very good in a fist fight, which was what they would initiate it they could understand him. As it were, they simply stared blankly at him as Nott's face darkened.

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, _Potter_." Harry just smiled, before glancing over at his two friends who were watching the conversation with the rest of the school. Ron didn't seem to even notice, but Susan got the message after a second.

"I'll be his second." She spoke in a soft voice, one most would think was almost shy. Harry, however, could hear the pride in it that Susan must have felt from Harry trusting her with such a task. Granted, Harry didn't understand much about duels in general, but the idea of a second seemed pretty self explanatory. Not to mention, he had made it a point of allowing Susan to decide for herself, rather than voluntelling as Nott did with Goyle. Sadly, Nott didn't seem to understand this, and instead sneered at Susan.

"You're letting the little Hufflepuff be your second? I suppose you really do have to scrape the bottom of the barrel. I don't even need to beat you to shame you, if this is what you're depending on to save you." The crowd oohed, but Harry ignored them. Instead, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, holding his chin in his hands as he tossed a lopsided grin at Nott.

"Now, now, Nott. Does your _honor_ demand you insult a noble lady in such a manner?" The reaction was hilarious. Nott visibly jerked back as he realized his mistake, to much of the crowd's amusement.. Harry had learned, curious about how the noble families worked in the magical world, that the Bones house was a very old one, although not necessarily powerful when it came to sheer magical potential like the Potters. Sure, there were a few branches that would stand out, and they did supposedly claim ancestry to one of Helga Hufflepuff's lines, but for the most part all of their power lay in politics. Still, they were very old and prominent, whereas the Notts… weren't. They were a middling house, with some power and influence, but not remarkably strong, and more often than not were subordinates of more powerful houses such as the Malfoys. Now, Harry honestly could care less about the overarching politics of the thing, but he wasn't about to stand by and let his friend be insulted. Besides, Nott had made this entire conversation about family names when he claimed it was an honor duel. He was simply fighting fire with fire.

"I… must apologize. My tongue escaped me for a moment." Harry grinned into the glare Nott sent his way as he apologized.

"Yes, do keep a tighter hold on it. Now, midnight was it? I'll see you there." Harry waved shooingly at the boy, dismissing him. Nott went with an apparent amount of reluctance, but he did go, Harry smiling after him. After the other boy had sat down, Harry turned to his friends, smiling at their still somewhat shocked faces.

"Ah, don't you just love dealing with snobby rich kids? It's so much fun!"

XXX

"Ugh, why do we have to get up so late for a bloody duel? Damn Nott and his robot minions."

"Shhhh!" Harry hushed Ron as they tiptoed down the stair to the common room, the redheaded boy complaining far too loudly for comfort. They _were_ trying to sneak out of Gryffindor tower after curfew. It would not help if they ended up waking everyone inside in the process. Harry's caution ended up being for not(heh, Nott) when they descended the stairs and he saw a familiar face sitting in front of the fireplace, Even though he wasn't surprised, the raven haired boy groaned softly. He had expected Hermione Granger to attempt to stop the boys from sneaking out after she accosted them about having overheard the time and place of Harry's duel, but that didn't mean it wasn't a problem. Straightening from the stealthy crouch he had been in to walk the last few steps, Harry tossed a piercing glare in the bushy haired witch's direction.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" The girl jumped at the sound of his voice, but quickly recovered her composure, having expected such a thing to happen.

"I could say the same to you. You really shouldn't be doing this, you'll lose all those points I got from McGonagall for knowing about switching spells if you get caught." Harry snorted, giving her a wry grin.

"I suppose we'll just have to not get caught then, won't we." Ron agreed, again far too loudly, causing Hermione to huff in irritation.

:You two really don't care, do you? All you care about are yourselves. You're being really selfish, you know that."Suddenly, Harry stepped forward, his golden eyes seeming to glow in the darkness as he drilled a hard stare at Hermione.

"So protecting my house and my friends is selfish? Allowing those who slighted them to walk away scott free is a lack of caring? No, letting something like his go is a sign of weakness and cowardice. I let this go, and Nott will continue to harass all the Gryffindor's, not to mention the rest of the school." The raven haired boy took a step forward, and Hermione unconsciously quailed under the stare. Those eyes really were unnerving. The young girl could do nothing as Harry sidestepped her, Ron following after smiling at Hermione smugly. Once Harry's eyes were no longer focused on her, however, she quickly regained her courage, chasing after them.

"No! You really can't go, breaking the rules is wrong! Are you listening to-" Hermione cut herself off when she heard the sound of the portrait hole closing behind her. She had been so determined to follow the two boys that she hadn't even noticed they had left the tower! Whirling around, she saw that the Fat Lady had disappeared, leaving the entrance back inaccessible. She was stuck outside, breaking the rules!

Harry, who looked behind him when he heard a small gasp, smirked slightly. Hermione was staring at the Fat Lady's portrait in horror, her face pale. "Guess you're stuck out here too. Maybe you should've just gone to bed." The bushy haired girl tried to glare at him, but Harry just chuckled. It was like Susan all over again, she couldn't really manage it. She was like a kitten. Shaking his head at her, Harry just sighed.

"Look, you can stay out here if you want, but we've got an appointment to get to. Have fun." Harry turned as if to walk away, but was stopped when Hermione called out.

"Wait! I'm coming with you." Harry paused, glancing back at her.

"And why is that?" Hermione opened her mouth to say something about not wanting to get caught by Filch, but when she looked at those exotic golden eyes, she suddenly felt like Harry could pierce her soul with them, and she suddenly felt like no lie would escape him. Instead, she rubbed her arm and looked away, trying to avoid the entrancing sight.

"It's… dark." She said reluctantly, before looking back up. Ron suddenly looked like he was trying not to laugh, but Harry didn't. He was looking at her thoughtfully, as if he hadn't expected such vulnerability from the ridiculously smart witch. She did her best to hold his gaze, but it was hard. She had never told anyone about how she was afraid of the dark, or afraid of anything really. Everyone just assumed she was too smart and logical to be afraid of anything, especially something as irrational as the dark. Normally, she just let them think that.

After a few moments of scrutinizing the bushy haired witch, Harry shrugged, turning to continue his trek. "Alright, if you want. I could care less." As Harry walked away, he mused on the revelation Hermione Granger's, the most rational witch he had ever met, rather irrational fear. He never would've guessed it, but somehow it sort of made sense. Everyone had their flaws, after all.

"Ow, that hurt!" Harry was rather promptly drawn out of his musings when he suddenly tripped over something that had been laying across the middle of the corridor, and it _shouted._ After struggling to regain his balance, Harry looked down to see the rather strange sight of one Neville Longbottom trying to uncurl from where he had been on the floor. Shocked rather speechless by this unexpected event, Harry stared at the boy as Hermione and Ron ran up behind him from where they had been arguing in hissed voices behind him.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Hermione, ever mindful of the fact that they were currently wandering around the castle after hours, asked in a low voice. The question snapped Harry out of his shocked state, and he turned to the other two with a bemused expression.

"It would seem Neville here has decided to become a carpet." Hermione looked behind the raven haired boy to see that there was indeed a Neville who looked like he had been sleeping on the corridor floor for at least half the night.

"Neville, what are _you_ doing out here?" The rotund boy glanced up from shaking his head to clear it of the sleepy fuzz, and his eyes widened when he saw the three fellow Gryffindor's standing before him.

"Oh, thank Godric you three are here. I've forgotten the password!" Harry stared at the boy for a second, before sighing in exasperation.

"Of course you have. Anyways, it's pig snout, but that won't help you now. The fat lady's gone off somewhere, and we don't know when she'll come back." Neville suddenly looked terrified at the thought that he would be stuck outside the common room all night, and Harry sighed again. "Look, you can come with us, if you want. We've already got one lost puppy, we might as well have another. Besides, it also makes it a bigger audience for the buttkicking I'm going to give Nott." Neville nodded eagerly at that, looking just like the puppy dog Harry had described him as. Sure, a rather heavyweight puppy, but a puppy nonetheless. With that mess sorted, Harry continued to lead the growing crusade through the halls to the trophy room, ignoring Hermione's protests against the puppy comment. It wasn't long before they arrived at one of the entrances to the Trophy Room, and Harry was forced to groan at the sight that awaited them. Susan was there, as she had agreed to meet Ron and Harry at the spot, but the problem was the annoyed looking Slytherin and Dreamy Ravenclaw loitering in the hall with her.

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous. What's he doing here?" Harry gestured at Draco, ignoring Luna since he really wasn't surprised she had somehow managed to follow them. The strange girl seemed to know exactly what the group was doing at any given point in time.

"Don't worry Potter, I'm not here for you. I just came to drag my errant Housemates back to the dorms so they doesn't cause more trouble for the rest of us." With that blunt comment said, Draco returned to whatever it was he had been doing before, which appeared to be nothing at all. Harry, realizing he wasn't going to get any further answer, inclined his head at Luna questioningly, knowing the girl with strange bronze eyes would understand.

"OH, tonight's the night of certain death, but not quite. At least, that's what the lady in the dream told me." Harry quickly decided to leave that statement alone, since he doubted he'd ever be able to sort it out, but Hermione wasn't nearly as well-versed in Luna-isms.

"What lady?" Luna smiled lightly, seaming glad to hear the question for some reason.

"Oh, the bird lady. She told me tonight would be the night, so I got up and came to find you all. Well, most of you. He's not very important, and the other one still has awhile." She threw an odd look at Ron before nodding towards Neville. "Anyways, we should probably stretch, we'll be running soon." Right before Hermione could question further, Harry suddenly gestured for all of them to quiet down. They listened for a few seconds, before finally hearing a voice that struck dread into each of their eleven year old hearts.

"Yes, I can hear them, they're nearby. Don't worry my pet, we'll find them." All seven of the children looked at each other for a second before Draco spoke, almost too quietly for them to hear.

"Filch. Nott ratted you out., the coward."They all looked horrified at the thought. It was a perfectly Slytherin thing to do, but was still a dirty trick. Even Draco seemed displeased with his housemate's choice of subterfuge. A clanging from inside the room and a harsh curse brought them all back to reality, however, before they could dwell on it too much. With only a single glance, all seven of the children started running, abandoning stealth for speed. Filch couldn't punish them if he didn't catch them, after all. Winding through the corridor's, the seven tried to stick together in a tight formation, but soon Neville, Ron, and even Hermione started to drift behind. Surprisingly, it was Draco and Luna, the girl seeming to glide along while the boy practically flew, who were the fastest, despite Harry and Susan's training.

The group ran on, desperate to escape, until they suddenly came to a dead end. Blocking their way was a simple wooden door, locked tight. Draco almost slammed into it, barely stopping in time to grab the handle and attempt to wrench it open. When that failed, he tried several more times as the others gathered, until Hermione and Susan stepped forward.

"Stop that Draco, you'll break it. Hermione, do you know an unlocking spell?" Susan asked, and the bushy haired girl darted forward to cast said spell. Harry raised an eyebrow at Susan, but didn't say anything. He knew the other girl could cast the spell, as could Harry and Luna, and probably Draco, but it probably wasn't a smart idea for any of them to try it right now. With their panicked state and lack of control, any of them could very well have blown the knob off if they tried. Putting that thought aside, however, he rushed to follow the rest of the group into the room before slamming the door shut and pressing his ear to it. After listening to Filch, who had somehow caught up to them, grumble for a bit and then leave, he turned around to smile at the group, but was stopped cold by the sight of what was behind the other six, a horrible backdrop to their pale and flushed faces that were looking to him for hope.

"Um, guys? Don't look up." Of course, each and every one of them instantly raised their eyes to look at the three drooling heads hanging above them. The beast was hideous, a massive black Rottweiler with three heads. It's big jowls were dripping with a disgusting amount of drool, and the creature was just drawing its lips back to growl at them, revealing disgusting yellow teeth. The seven children took this terrifying image in in an instant, right before letting out identical ear piercing screams. Harry was practically trampled as he pushed open the door to let them all out, only being saved by his own swiftness in vacating the group barely stopped for only a second, long enough for Draco, who had shoved the door shut since he was the last to get out, look at them all, the terror still in his eyes.

"Scatter, get to your common rooms. Tomorrow." With that, all seven of the kids split, sprinting off to their common rooms, the threat of Filch or a teacher coming to investigate their screams following their heels like the devil himself. It was obvious that they had somehow managed to stumble into the third floor corridor, the forbidden one. If the teachers ever found out, they'd would probably be wishing they had stayed to hang out with the giant dog, let alone the fact that seven different students had been wandering the halls all on the same night.

As they ran, different thoughts ran through each of their heads. Draco was silently cursing Nott out in his head, extremely pissed off that the other boy's foolishness had nearly gotten him pissed. Susan was hoping the other's had gotten away alright, and glad for the recent active lifestyle she had started up. The little brunette doubted she'd be able to make it all the way to her common room without collapsing otherwise. Neville's thoughts were simply one long scream as the image of the giant dog's teeth continued to run through his head over and over. Ron was wondering why the bloody hell he had been there in the first place, and Harry plotting how best to humiliate Nott at breakfast the next day to repay him for nearly getting Harry and his friends-not to mention a few innocent bystanders- nearly eaten. Hermione, who had trouble getting her mind off the trapdoor she had noticed in the room while looking over her shoulder as they ran out, was wondering whether it would've been better to stay outside the portrait hole, fear of darkness be damned. Luna was thinking about the tea she had drank that morning.

XXX

"It's official. Dumbledore's insane." Draco let out a bark of laughter at Potter's statement. They had just gathered in the great hall for breakfast, or at least, some of them had. Granger was glaring balefully at the group from her place at the Gryffindor table for some reason, and Longbottom was quivering in his seat, avoiding their eyes in favor of looking at the food he was mournfully scooping into his mouth. Draco, Lovegood, Bones, Potter, and weasley, however, had all gathered together at the Slytherin table, since Draco refused to be seen as catering to any of the others by going to the Gryffindor table as Bones and Lovegood were so wont to do. Instead, he had summoned the other four to discuss the previous night's… misadventure.

"Yes Potter, we knew that already. Don't you remember Defense class?" Draco drawled, sending a droll look in the direction of the raven haired boy. Potter, however, ignored the look, smirking.

"Of course I remember you coming to rescue me from the big bad monster. How could I ever forget?" Draco had to hold back a groan as the other boy pretended to bat his eyelashes at him. Yes, Potter was being an idiot, but Malfoys did not _groan._ Throwing a glare this time, Draco sat back in his chair and waited for the fool to continue making his point. "Anyways, yes, I remember Defense. I _was_ the one being attacked after all. Still, We it is possible Dumbledore simply made a mistake in his hiring policies."

"But couldn't he have sensed that, that _thing?_ I mean, he is the Headmaster. And I doubt something nasty like that could get through the wards without permission." Bones interrupted, earning a frown from Draco. She did make a good point…

"As I said, he might have made a mistake. That thing is latched onto Quirrel, so it is possible that in allowing Quirrel in he inadvertently allowed it in. Also, we can't be completely sure Dumbledore can see the same things as us. From what little we could find in the library, it is a very rare skill." They all nodded their assent to this. Draco hadn't been able to find anything that suggested otherwise either. "So basically, Quirrell could just be a mistake, but a giant three headed dog? There's no way something like that just waltzed into Hogwarts without being let in. i saw a mention about Cerberi in one of the books I got from Diagon Alley while shopping for school. While not always vicious, they are dark enough to warrant the wards preventing it from passing. The only way I can think it would get past is if the Headmaster-who should have the authority- let it in."As Potter finished speaking, the whole group, except Weasley who was busy stuffing his face with food, fell into contemplative silences. If the Headmaster was allowing something as dangerous as a giant three headed dog into the school, with children, then there was a reason. Draco was just about to suggest that when Lovegood decided to speak up in her dreamy voice

"Trapdoor." The whole group gave the girl odd looks, except Potter.

"Yeah, Hermione said something about that. The dog was standing on a trap door." Draco smirked. Of course bloody Granger would notice something like that. Only she would bother to look at the feet of a giant three headed dog trying to eat her. Well, except Lovegood apparently. Then again, the bronze eyed girl always seemed to know things she shouldn't. In fact, Draco could almost swear she had known Filch would appear before he actually did. Either way, a trapdoor underneath a monstrous beast like that could only mean one thing.

"It's guarding something. That's why Dumbledore let it in." They all nodded. It was obvious really. Then Bones spoke up.

"But what? What could possibly warrant not only such heavy protection, but also to risk putting such a beast in a school full of children like us? Harry's right, It's mad." At that, Potter smiled.

"Thanks Susan. Although, we can figure that out later. What I'm more interested in right now is Nott." Weasley finally looked up at the name of the coward, speaking through a mouth full of food.

"Thaf, bloofy toward? Kif his aff!" For a moment, everybody was silent as they all stared at the redhead. He didn't seem to notice, however, and returned to his meal, the call of food too hard to ignore for the glutton. Shaking his head, Draco turned back to the _attentive_ part of the group.

"Anyways, you don't need to worry about Nott. He's been dealt with."Potter started to ask how, but was quickly cut off by a loud exclamation by Lovegood.

"Hehe, they look pretty!" Draco grinned. Sounded like the party had arrived. Turning in his seat, the blonde gestured at the commotion that was forming at the front of the hall. There, in all his cowardly glory, was Nott. His hair had been dyed a bright gold and was floating around his head as if he were a lion, and it his mane. His robes were a flamboyant scarlet, and written across his forehead were the words 'cowardly lion'. He even had whisker marks stretched across his blazing face as he marched up to the Slytherin table.

Crabbe and Goyle were both colored and marked as the tin man and scarecrow, although Draco couldn't remember which was which. Still, it was hilarious, and he was the one who had done it.

"Potter! Thought you'd get a last bit of revenge before they ship you off, did you!?" Draco had to work hard to stifle his laughter as Nott slammed his hands down on the table in rage and glared at Potter. This was too good!

"Me? I have _nooooo_ idea what you're talking about, Nott. Nice makeup by the way." Draco quirked an eyebrow at the comment. Potter was going to have a lot of fun with this.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I'll be the one laughing when your train is pulling out of the station to drag your sorry self home." Wow, it took skill to pull off such a degrading tone, especially when in _that_ getup.

Now why would I be on going home?" Potter mocked looking around as if to see if anyone would answer his question. When no one did, he turned his golden gaze back to the other boy. "It's not like someone tried to trick me into getting caught wandering around after hours. Right, Nott?" The Slytherin glared at Potter for a few moments, before turning around and storming away without another word. Watching him go, Potter leaned over to Draco without taking his eyes off the retreating boy's back. "So, Wizard of Oz? Really?" Draco shrugged in response.

"I had a rebellious stint a few years ago, and since my father hates pretty much everything muggle, I picked up a few things." Susan giggled at his response, before leaning over and asking quietly, "So if they're the tin man, scarecrow and cowardly lion, who's Dorothy?" Draco smirked, and the others at the table shuddered at the sight. "Parkinson." This answer brought more grins to the table. Pansy Parkinson was well known by most of the first year as a snooty, mean girl, who spent most of her time simpering over Draco and other rich pureblood heirs. Draco, for his own part, had done it because the aggravating witch had nearly gotten him caught by McGonagall when he was returning to the Slytherin quarters the previous night. He was looking forward to when she finally gave up on trying to get rid of the transformation and was forced to come up from the dungeons for class. It might even get the stick out of Granger's behind and make her laugh for once.

"How'd you do it?" Potter asked, trying to hide his eagerness. If he could pull off something like that… well, Harry doubted Hogwarts would have a bullying problem for long..

"My mother may have taught me a few tricks. Said she got them from a cousin of hers."

"Could you teach me?" Draco shook his head, smirking at the obvious desire in the question.

"Nah, family secrets. Only those with Black blood are allowed to know." Draco laughed at the defeated look on Potter's face at his answer. He looked like a kicked puppy dog. When Draco realized what he was doing though, he stopped abruptly. What was he doing? He shouldn't be sitting here, joking and messing about. The prank had been his revenge for Nott nearly getting him killed, even if it was inadvertent. He wasn't trying to make friends. his face turned cold, becoming an expressionless mask. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to class." Draco stood and left the hall quickly, leaving the others to stare after him in confusion.


	10. Chapter Nine: Poking the Lion

**Hello again. I don't really have anything extremely important to talk about at the moment, at least not that I can think of, so I'll just let you guys get on with reading. Read, Relax, and Review. Enjoy!**

XXX

"Merlin, she's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends." Harry didn't see Hermione brush past the trio with tears in her eyes. No, he was too busy trying not to slap Ron for his utterly insensitive comment. Susan, on the other hand, didn't seem to have the same reservations. All the other students in the hall, except for the retreating girl, stopped and stared as the crack of the blow echoed around them, but Harry ignored them.

"Bloody hell, Susan. What was that for?" The redhead received two rather vicious glares drilling into him as he looked bewildered at his friends.

"That was… cruel, Ron. Do you even realize how much of a prat you just were?" The boy in question stared at her, wide eyed. After a few moments of waiting for a response, Susan seemed to decide she wasn't going to get one and turned around with a huff. "Whatever, come on. Let's get to class." The brunette stalked off, her anger palpable, to Harry at least. The raven haired boy followed quickly, dragging Ron, who still looked to be in a state of shock as he tried to process the fact that he had just been slapped, with him. Harry didn't blame the other boy. Susan was normally very kind and soft-spoken, not at all the type to slap someone. On the other hand, he couldn't really blame Susan either. Ron had seriously been getting on his nerves as well, especially with his venomous disposition towards Hermione Granger. If Susan hadn't beaten him to it, Harry might have punched Ron himself.

XXX

As the trio walked into the Halloween feast, Ron seemed to have gotten over his shock, but Harry noticed him wincing every time the boy glanced in Susan's direction. Still, the ginger stubbornly refused to apologize for his actions. As a result, there was a wide berth between the two all day, with Harry rather uncomfortably caught in the center. He was starting to wish he could turn invisible, if only so they wouldn't have to lean around him to throw their glares.

His thoughts, despite being annoyed by his friend's fight, were quickly derailed by the sight of the Halloween decorations adorning the great hall. The air was filled with floating candles and swirling clouds of bats, highlighting the ominous image of a full moon partially covered by clouds that was portrayed by the enchanted roof. There were thirteen massive jack-o-lanterns scattered around the hall, terrifying in their size and grotesque carvings. It made Harry wonder how exactly Hagrid had managed to grow them so big, until he remembered that he was attending a _magic_ school. It really wasn't surprising now that he thought about it. The rest of the hall was covered in similar decorations, but the main attraction for most people, especially Harry, Susan, Ron, and Luna(who had just shown up) was the vast amounts of delicious looking food spread out on the various tables. It did not take long for the now quartet to quickly dig in, ignoring the exasperated looks they now expected from their peers. Their eating habits, as well as Draco's, had already become notorious.

It wasn't long into the feast that it was interrupted by a terrified looking Quirrel, sprinting into the hall and up to the head table. Harry, Susan, and Luna all narrowed their eyes as he passed. The vile man was not scared in the slightest, no matter how he may look. If anything, he, and the creature attached to him, felt vaguely hopeful. The narrowed eyes were quickly accompanied by frowns as they listened to the near hysterical proclamation of a troll being in the dungeons. Still, they were unable to do anything as they stood with the rest of the students, most of whom were panicking despite Dumbledore's attempts to calm them, and started to follow the crowd out of the hall. It was only right as they exited and were about to split that Harry remembered something that instantly swept away his worries about Quirrell.

"Wait!" He hissed, reaching out his arms to stop his friends. "Hermione." Ron threw a dark look his way.

"What about her?"

"She's in bathroom, remember? She won't know about the troll." Luna and Susan paled instantly, while Ron's gare deepened.

"And what? We're supposed to go risk our lives to tell her?" Harry whirled on the boy, shocked by the hateful tone in his voice.

"Of course! You think we should leave her to die?" Ron scoffed, and Harry had to clench his fist to keep from punching him right there.

"I'm not going to risk my skin for some bossy know-it-all like her! Are you mad?" Harry looked at him then, coldly. He couldn't believe this was even happening.

"No, I'm a Gryffindor. What does that make you?" Ron glared for a moment, before shaking his head defeatedly.

"Whatever, you lot can go get yourself killed. I'm going to the tower, where it's safe." The boy spun on his heel and walked away, Harry watching him leave with a sudden hollow feeling in his gut. He was startled from his thoughts when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Let him go. He can't help us. There is too much darkness in him." Harry turned to find the bronze eyes of Luna looking at him, hard and glinting like metal in firelight. He thought about protesting, but stopped himself right as he opened his mouth. It was Ron's choice not to come. If ron wanted to be selfish, there was nothing Harry could do about it. With a short nod to the silver haired girl, Harry quickly strode off in the direction of the girl's bathroom Hermione was supposed to be in, smiling at Susan when she followed him without hesitation. At least Harry could depend on some of his friends.

As they moved through the halls, Harry mused on Luna's words about Ron. They had been some of the most lucid he had ever heard her speak, and that made him keep glancing at the girl out of the corner of his eye. Now she was back to her typical self, but previously she had seemed… older, and wiser. Almost like he was listening to a different person altogether, someone who was far more experienced than a somewhat insane eleven year old girl. It was disconcerting, to say the least. What was worse was the fact that they were even needed in the first place. Harry hadn't wanted to admit it, but Ron was… unpleasant at times, especially towards Slytherins and Hermione Granger, but Harry hadn't expected the other boy to be able and willing to abandon someone in danger. That was just wrong.

As they neared the bathroom, Harry was suddenly grabbed by Susan and shoved into a corner, Luna receiving the same treatment a few seconds later. Harry was about to ask what the brunette was doing, when she shushed them, placing hands over both their received his answer a second later, however, when Professor Snape appeared in the corridor, striding past their hiding place.

 _What is he doing here?_ Harry thought as he watched the man disappear around a corner. The professor's should've all been down in the dungeons. If it had been Quirrel, Harry probably could've believed it, but Snape? Sure, the man was a massive git, but Harry doubted he would be a part of whatever scheme the other professor was scheming up, especially since the two teachers hated each other.

Harry shook his head, putting thoughts of the teacher out of his mind as well as dismissing the questioning glances from his two companions. They could figure out what Snape was up to later. For now, they had to warn Hermione, especially if a teacher had come up this way. It could mean that the troll had come upstairs, and the hunt had followed. That theory was proved just a few seconds later when the three children were hit with a terrible stench.

"Maybe we should just give the troll a bath?" Harry couldn't agree more with Susan. The thing smelled like a combination between the dirtiest diaper ever, and the most disgusting sewage pipe in the world. In fact, Harry was surprised they weren't all keeling over at the smell. In comparison, the sight of the massive beast coming around the corner wasn't all that bad. Sure, it was massive and ugly, with grey leathery skin and a tremendously stupid look on its face, but that was about it. Harry had already survived a three headed dog, what could a troll do? Although, that giant club it was carrying did have a nasty look to it.

Harry was drawn out of his musings when the trol lumbered into a room, and he spotted a key in the door. "Come on, let's lock it in!" He hissed at Susan and Luna, receiving nods from the two girls. They ran up to the door, and with a great shove from all three of them, shut it tight, Harry grabbing and turning the key as soon as it was closed. He smiled at the two girls with him, idly wondering why on earth there had even been a door with a key sitting in the lock, when he heard the scream. It was coming directly from the room they had just locked the troll in, which he realized with a sinking feeling, was the bathroom they had been looking for. After a wild glance at Susan and Luna, who both looked just as shocked as he was, Harry quickly unlocked the door and threw it open, being greeted with a terrifying sight.

Hermione, the poor girl, was crouching under a sink, surrounded by the wreckage of the bathroom as she screamed her head off. The troll was swinging his club wildly, roaring loudly as he tried to squash the bushy haired witch. The bathroom itself was in shambles, with broken faucets and smashed stalls littering the floor, as well as water spraying everywhere, drenching the place. Harry took this all in in an instant as his brain switched gears. Suddenly, he could see everything around him, hear everything. His instincts were running on overload as he ducked a shard of porcelain that flew at his head after it had been tossed his way by a swing of the troll's club. He didn't hesitate to try to make sense of this change, instead running up to the troll and kicking its massive foot. Harry knew that there was nothing he could really do to damage the monstrosity, but if he could distract it long enough, Susan and Luna might be able to get Hermione out alive.

"Oy, booger brain! Why don't you pick on someone your own size!?" The insult had the desired effect, although Harry wasn't entirely sure whether that was because it had actually comprehended the insult, or it just realized it had a new toy to play with. After looking at him stupidly for a moment, the troll let out another loud roar as he swung his club downwards, attempting to smash Harry into a smear. The boy saw this, however, and was already sidestepping, a wild grin on his face as he felt the rush of adrenaline start to pump through his veins. Backtracking quickly, Harry scooped up a piece of rubble and threw it at the troll, making sure it kept its dull eyes on him. Harry registered the sigh, slightly, of Luna and Susan behind the monster, trying to coax Hermione into leaving. With a slight nod in their direction that he didn't wait to see if they saw, Harry tossed another piece of rubble at the troll, before whirling around and running for his life. It was good that he did, because the troll finally decided it had enough of small objects bouncing off its head, and had started to charge the young boy. Harry ran as quick as he could move his legs, even faster than he had after the three headed dog, grinning like a lunatic as he did turned one corner, then another, barely escaping the arc of the club, until he suddenly found himself in a dead end. As he ran towards the blank wall, trying to figure out how the heck he was supposed to get out of this, a sudden instinct forced him to dive, sliding along the smooth stone as he watched the troll's club soar right through where his head had been, crashing into the wall ahead of him. After coming to a stop, Harry stood up and looked back at the troll, now weaponless. The bloody thing had thrown its club at him! As Harry tried to figure out what to do next, he noticed something behind the troll. Hermione, tear stained, was standing there, her wand raised high. Behind her were Susan and Luna, all three girls soaking wet as they glared at the troll. Harry started to yell at them to get out of there, but before he could, he heard Hermione shout.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" The club, sitting in a small pile of rubble, slowly started to rise. The troll looked at it stupidly for a moment, then Hermione jerked her wand backwards, the club following the motion to slam into the dumb beast's head. As it fell to the ground, Harry looked at Hermione incredulously, who shrugged when she saw him.

"It was the first thing that came to mind." Harry snorted and shook his head, but didn't say anything. The method had worked, at least. Instead, he walked over to the girls, eyeing their soaked state. He himself was a bit wet, but as he hadn't entered the bathroom fully, most of the water hadn't touched him. The girls, on the other hand, looked like they had gone swimming.

"You three alright?" He asked, watching carefully for any sign of injury.

"Yeah, thanks." Hermione answered. The _because of you,_ went unspoken, but Harry heard it all the same. Before any more conversation could occur, all four first years were distracted by the sound of running feet echoing around the halls. They turned as one to see an entire group of teachers approaching them, Snape and Quirrel surprisingly among them. Snape as also limping. Three pairs of eyes narrowed as the teachers approached, but one fell, the face they were set in flaring up in shame.

"What on earth is going on here?" McGonagall's tone was harsh and commanding, but it failed to intimidate the three rescuers.

"Oh, nothing much Professor. Just thought we'd-" Before Harry could continue with his explanation, he was cut off by a surprising stomp on his foot, causing him to hiss in pain.

"It's my fault, Professor. I thought I could help with the troll, since I've read so much about them. These three followed me and tried to bring me back, and when the troll showed up they distracted it. If it weren't for them, I'd be dead." Everyone was silent as they all processed Hermione's lie. The other two girl's were trying to comprehend the fact that _Hermione Granger_ had just lied to a teacher, and Harry was trying not to hop in pain as he glared balefully at the bushy haired witch. That stomp had _hurt._ The teacher's themselves looked like they were doubting Hermione's story entirely, but finally McGonagall relented.

"Yes, well, that was incredibly dangerous, all of you…. But I suppose it was also very brave, especially for a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw such as you two. I would expect such foolishly brash acts from those of my own house." She nodded to Susan and Luna, who blushed and smiled dreamily, respectively, before continuing. "Ten points to each of your houses, but five from Gryffindor. What you did was very foolish, Ms. Granger, I hope you understand that." hermione hung her head, but Harry could see the hints of a smile forming on her face. Hermione Granger was smiling at the fact that not only had she attempted to lie to a teacher, but had actually _succeeded!_ What was the world coming to?

McGonagall dismissed the four quickly, and as they exited the bathroom, they all paused to look each other in the eye. In that moment they knew they were officially friends without a word of it having to be spoken, and that it would take a lot to break the new bond between them, however new it might be. After all, there were some things you couldn't go through together without trusting each other, and knocking out a fully grown mountain troll was one of them.

XXX

"What the bloody hell is _she_ doing here?" An exhausted Harry Potter looked up to see his once friend Ron pointing an angry finger at Hermione Granger, who was sitting next to him. Hermione, at least, had the presence of mind to blush slightly, despite the fact that she was just as tired as Harry after the party that had gone on long into the previous night. Harry, on the other hand, only offered the redhead a rather droll stare.

"She's sitting with her friends. Do you have a problem with that?" Amusement almost broke through the haze of exhaustion consuming his thoughts when he saw the utterly enraged face Ron made to tug the corners of his mouth upwards, but ultimately it failed, resulting instead in an opposite effect, Harry's mouth curling into a frown as he listened to Ron's angered yelling.

"Of course I have a problem with it! Why would you sit with a bossy know-it-all like her, anyways!? And what's this about friends!?" For a moment, Harry considered arguing with the other boy, defending the bushy haired witch who even now was trying to hide her face in her food while blushing furiously in shame, but the golden eyed wizard took one look at the smug light in Ron's eye as he waited for Harry to agree with him, and decided it wasn't worth it.

"Look Ron, I won't be friends with some prejudiced jerk who can't get past his first impressions of people, so either get over yourself, or go away." With his piece said, the now thoroughly annoyed Harry turned away from Ron to bury himself in his food, in an oddly reminiscent manner of Hermione, as clear a dismissal as he felt like bothering with at that moment. Ran sat there fuming for a few seconds, hoping Harry would look up at him and laugh, saying it was all a joke, but it never happened. Finally, he was forced to concede defeat.

"Fine, _Potter._ Your bloody loss if you want to go around associating with friendless bitches like her." Ron sneered, intending to turn around and storm off, but Harry's head snapped up in a flash, and those golden eyes of his blazed with such an intense anger that he was suddenly too terrified to look away.

"You did not just say what I think you said." The voice that came out of Harry- _Potter's_ mouth sounded nothing like the boy he once knew. This one was hard, edged with steel. Ron felt a shiver go down his spine at the sound of it, far too old for an eleven year old boy, but stood his ground. He was tired of being ignored, of being discarded without a second thought.

"You heard me." There was no warning, no signal, other than a flash of the eyes, a sudden crimson through gold that was gone before he could even be sure it was there in the first place. The Great Hall exploded, plates and goblets sent flying, their contents thrown through the air, all drawn towards a single focal point like moths to a flame. One second Ron was staring with hardened resolve into the eyes of the boy who had been his first real friend outside of family, and the next he was drenched and coated with food, a perfect circle of silver embedded into the ground around him. It was a warning, one he wasn't quite sure he understood. All Ronald Weasley knew was that the second he had processed what had just happened, he was running out of the Great Hall, sprinting back to the Gryffindor common room, trying to forget the image of crimson through gold.


	11. Chapter Ten:A Friendly Game of Quidditch

**It's Aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!**

… **..**

 **Okay, I'm assuming that all of you have run out of sharp pointy bits to throw at the screen in a desperate attempt to kill me via internet for my extended absence. Now I can get on with the apologizing.**

 **Firstly, I would like to say a very,** _ **very,**_ **sincere apology to all of you fabulous readers out there, and express just how much I am disappointed with myself. I have actually been suffering a very sever case of Writer's block these last few months, and for those of you who follow me as a writer and not just this story, what few other things I was able to push out were all semi-forced and drained what was left of my inspiration. Believe me, it has been absolute torture with all these thoughts and ideas for scenes running around in my head, for all my different stories, and not being able to express them whenever I sit down to write.**

 **On a somewhat happier note, welcome back to The Founder's Circle. Now, I don't want to make a big deal out of it, so you can actually get to the story relatively quickly, but this chapter essentially covers the long-awaited fallout after Ron's humiliation, and the first quidditch match of the year, with Harry playing chaser this time, although for the sake of plot and amusement a few things do stay the same.**

 **Alright, before I let you go, I do wnat to actually give a shout out to a reviewer, the most recent one in fact, who all of you can thank for actually getting this chapter now and breaking at least a bit of my writer's block. This person, through a feat of sheer audacity and patience, somehow managed to wade through** _ **two hundred pages**_ **of stories in the archives to find my story, and I somehow managed to catch their eye. Beyond that even, it was their rather humorous demand for more not even twenty four hours ago, along with a line that actually reminded me of my big sister enough to make me laugh, that inspired me to push through and finish this chapter. So for that, I wanted to give a big thank you to Rstewart0516. I actually greatly appreciate every review I get, and draw a lot of my inspiration and drive to write from them. As such, I have a proposal for you lot. We currently stand at fifty two reviews. If, by the end of this story, we can manage to get up to one hundred, and perhaps even further, i promise to deliver to you a ten thousand word chapter for both the ending of this story, as well as the beginning of the next, which will cover volume two of the Harry Potter books. So, get out there and review!**

 **Alright, now I'll let ya'll get on two the story, since you've been so long deprived of it. Read, Review, and Relax. Enjoy!**

XXX

Albus Dumbledore frowned as he watched the young Mr. Potter eating breakfast. The boy was coming along well in his classes, at least on the practical applications side of things, but that wasn't what had the aging Headmaster worried at the moment. The problem was the young wizard's current companions. Ronald Weasley, the youngest son of the large redheaded family, normally sat side by side with the boy, but now he was nowhere to be seen. Now, normally this would not be an entirely problematic occurrence. The boy could easily be sick, or simply sleeping in. The likelihood of that was low, however, given who was sitting in his place.

Hermione Granger was a highly intelligent girl, it was true, and quite powerful for her age. Granted, compared to young Harry's other friends, her sheer strength was rather impotent, but those particular students were far outside the norm. The girl, however, was highly skilled in her control of magic, and even showed signs of becoming a sensor, a rare and powerful gift for any witch or wizard. In all truth, Granger would make a perfect companion for Harry, able to grant the boy assistance if he ever needed it, if it weren't for one, tiny problem. Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley were supposedly great enemies, and Dumbledore doubted the ginger would take kindly to her presence. In fact, even now the old wizard could see him storming up to the Gryffindor table where Harry and his little entourage were gathered, anger seeming to roll of him. For a moment, Dumbledore considered interfering, but the memory of his previous attempt at such an action stayed his hand. No, it would be best to let Mr. Potter sort this one out. After all, children fought all the time.

XXX

Hermione stared in horror at the splattered remains of the breakfast, clumped in a great pile where the largest prat she had ever met, Ronald Weasley, had previously been located. She had known Harry and his friends, other than Ron, were powerful, but this? And she had been the cause of it. Slowly, the bushy haired young witch turned away from the mess to face Harry, the boy's golden eyes still locked onto the spot where Ronald had vacated the Hall.

"Harry, I'm so sorry, I-" Hermione's apology was cut off by a sharp look from Harry, who finally tore his gaze away from the memory of the cruel redhead.

"Don't, Hermione. None of that was your fault. If anything, it's Ron's, for not being able to stop being a big baby." Harry held her gaze for a moment, his eyes serious, before suddenly he broke out into a small smile. "Besides, that's what friends are for, right?" Hermione just nodded, not trusting herself to speak without bursting into even more expressions of gratitude. Even if she had tried, however, they would have been short lived, as two boys who looked like older versions of the boy that had just been chased out of the Great Hall by an angry Harry sauntered up, mischievous grins spread wide across their faces.

"Harry, what a wonderful surprise. A fine show you put on there."

"Yes, but don't you think you might have gone just a bit overboard?" Hermione stared as the two boys threw their arms around her new friend, appearing as if they didn't even care that their younger brother had just been assaulted by the boy they were now embracing. Harry, for his part, simply cocked an eyebrow at the two.

"Did you hear what he called her?" He asked, gesturing at Hermione. "He called her the B-word." The twins tilted their head at Harry, their own eyebrows raised.

"Which one? Bossy-"

"Brat-"

"Brainiac-"

"Bitch." Harry finished, cutting them off before they could gain too much steam. In an instant, the two brother's jovial expressions disappeared, and they glanced at each other.

"George, my dearest twin, I do believe ickle Ronniekins is in need of some… brotherly guidance."

"Yes, Fred, I do concur. Shall we go deliver it?"

"We shall." hermione could barely suppress a shiver at the icy tone the normally laughing twins spoke in, and the feeling didn't go away even after the two troublemakers swept out of the great hall, evil sounding cackles following in their wake. Hermione looked at Harry, to see what his reaction was, but the golden eyes wizard simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh, he earned it."

XXX

Harry, are you alright?" Susan asked worriedly as her friend stared out at the Quidditch stadium, his robes flapping forlornly in the wind. All through breakfast he had been quiet, eating his food in silence, and now he was simply looking at the stadium, a frown on his face.

"Yeah, it's just odd, without Ron, you know? He was the one who cared about Quidditch. I just kinda went along with it." Susan smiled, but it was Hermione who spoke up from his other side.

"Don't worry Harry, I'm sure you'll do fine. You _did_ say you loved flying, right?" Harry nodded, but still looked somewhat nervous. Then Luna spoke up.

"Harry, your fire is bright. It will burn away the darkness, if you learn how to control it." The odd girl gave the rest of the group a small smile, before returning to her newspaper. Harry, caught off guard, cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Er, right. Thanks, I guess." Seeing the lost look on Harry's face, Susan reached out, patting his shoulder.

"You'll be alright, Harry. Now go on, you haven't got much time." The wizard nodded, trotting off towards the locker rooms. The girls watched him go, Susan sighing. "Honestly. He's been worrying far too much. Just because Ron introduced him to the sport doesn't mean he should be afraid of it." Susan wasn't expecting anyone to answer, had been talking to herself really, but then Hermione spoke up in a small voice.

"Can you blame him? After what that prat did, I'm surprised Harry isn't avoiding the thing entirely. Susan nodded thoughtfully in response as they set off,the brunette leading the way to the stands.

"I suppose, but Harry is far too stubborn to let something like that stop him. Still, he's an amazing flier, really. I think he's just afraid that the memory of Ron will tarnish his fun." Hermione, smiling slightly, nodded and fell silent, retrieving a book from her bag as they made their way to the stands. When the three girls arrived, they quickly made their way up to the back, where one Neville Longbottom was sitting, glancing around nervously.

"Hello, Neville. May we sit here with you?" Susan asked politely, startling the boy out of his seat.

"Er, yeah, I suppose. Plenty of room." The brunette smiling at the pudgy boy, nodding her head in polite thanks. The trio sat down, arranging themselves comfortably upon the seats. It didn't take long for the game to start, and as soon as it did each and every one of them were quickly enthralled. Susan and Neville had seen quidditch games before, being pureblooded wizards raised in the wizarding world, but the game never lost its charm. Hermione, and even Luna, had never really seen a game before. Hermione, of course, was a muggleborn, and as such hadn't even known about the game until just a few months previously, while Luna had never really had a chance to go, what with her father never being very interested. Now, though, their breath was taken away by the beautiful sight of the players weaving around each other intricately as the match progressed. Soon, their attention was drawn to one particular player, who was practically dancing through the fast paced mess on his new Cleansweep Seven, a broom renowned for its control. Harry, displaying an uncanny control and knack for maneuvers on a broom that probably shouldn't have been possible, was dominating the field. His real shine though, came not from his personal skill and ability, but how well the boy worked with his teammates. Alone, many of his moves would have been easily blocked, as the Slytherin chasers had quickly attempted to gang up on him, and even the beaters were doing whatever they could to slow the young chaser down. But the boy, true to his declaration to Dumbledore, had trained long and hard to be able to fit seamlessly into the team, refused to foolishly let his own pride take over, and happily handed over the quaffle when necessary. In fact, for the first part of the match, Harry never even scored a single goal, instead choosing to merely be instrumental in allowing others the honor.

Eventually, though, with Gryffindor leading nearly one hundred points, his was bound to change. Somehow, Harry found himself in possession of the quaffle, and nearing the end of the court. In the stands, each of his friends were holding their breaths in anticipation of his first goal, excitement racing through them. But it was not to be. Just as harry drew up to throw the quaffle into the rings, a blurred form of green and silver suddenly slammed into him, knocking his aim off balance, and the ball flew , the entire stadium was in an uproar, angry voices shouting for a foul.

"Oh, come on! They can't seriously allow that!" Even Hermione, who had never been interested in sports in the slightest before coming to Hogwarts, was expressing her outrage. "That deserves at least some sort of foul, right?" She asked, as the rest of the group nodded. Indeed it did, as they saw when Madame Hooch, the referee for the match, awarded Harry a free shot at the goal. He made it easily, but something was lacking in the fact that his first goal was to be a penalty shot. Even the Slytherins seemed somewhat discontent, glaring at their captain, who had been responsible for the attack. One glare in particular, sent from two orbs of venomous green, seemed to promise death to the older student. Such an overt assault was truly not befitting of Slytherin, and the whole house recognized it.

"Um, what's Harry doing?" Hermione asked, her tone suddenly worried. Play had resumed after the disgusting display of cheating, but one chaser was noticeably missing from the fray. Instead, Harry was slowly rising above the other players, a terrified look on his face as his broom started to buck around.

"Why, It looks like 'e might've lost control of 'is broom." Hagrid, who had arrived a few minutes before, having decided it would be easier to watch the game from the stands rather than his hut, said. What really caught Susan's attention, however, was when Luna leaned forward, and whispered something in her ear that had fear clenching her heart.

"Susan, Harry's dancing with shadows again." Tearing her eyes from the game, Susan stared up at Harry to see that the silver haired girl was right. All around her best friend there were shadows of dark magic, frighteningly similar to the ones which had attacked him at their first DADA class. Closing her eyes in attempt to focus on them, Susan closed her eyes as she spoke, her tone hard.

"Hermione, what is Quirrell doing?" Hermione, who had been informed of the danger that the teacher posed shortly after joining the group, didn't hesitate to search the crowd for the turbaned man.

"He's, staring at harry… and muttering. Merlin, it looks like he's casting a curse of some kind!" Susan nodded slightly, her eyes still closed.

"Alright, can you see if you can distract him? Luna can stay here and help me." Hermione, who was already halfway out of her seat, paused.

"What are you going to do?"

"We're going to do our best to slow him down. Now go." The bushy haired witch nodded once, then ran off. Susan, ignoring Hagrid and Neville's questions about what they were talking about, reached out her hand, allowing Luna to grasp it firmly. The girl may have been a bit scattered in the head, but even she could tell when something was serious.

The two girls couldn't get to Harry while he was in the air, so they didn't even consider trying the method they had used previously of flooding him with their magic through contact. Even if they could, Susan doubted Draco would bother to come to their rescue again. So instead they were forced to merely link their two powers together and throw them up into the air, hoping for the best.

Apparently the best wasn't very good at all. The girl's efforts managed to slow the dark, deadly magic assaulting Harry slightly, but it wasn't nearly enough. Quirrell's spell work was slippery, sliding in between the gaps that their lack of control opened for him. It weaved in, out, and through, continuing to strike at Harry with impunity. They weren't alone, however. There was another player at work, a thin, finely honed edge of magic cutting into Quirrell's magic at every turn. Someone must've been casting a countercurse, the dark emerald magic shimmering as it defended their friend.

Luckily, they did not need to fight for long, as the hostile curse suddenly disappeared, leaving Susan and Luna to sigh in relief. Harry, however, couldn't. He had something stuck in his mouth. Coughing, the boy pounded his chest, until something small and golden popped out and landed in his hands. Harry could hardly believe his eyes. Somehow, he had caught the golden snitch.

"Hey, Spinnet!" He called, attracting the Gryffindor seeker's attention. When she turned to look at him, a curious look on her face, Harry grinned and tossed the small golden ball to her. After, of course, he wiped it on his robes. No need to be gross after all. The girl caught, surprise in her eyes, but she couldn't say anything before the announcer, the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan, was calling out the victory, having seen the snitch in her hand. A slight disappointment crossed her face, but she flew down with the rest of the team to be greeted by their house. Harry, however, was too busy being mobbed by his friends to notice this, however.

"Harry! Don't you ever do something like that again!" Susan cried, throwing herself at the boy to glomp him fiercely. Harry barely managed to keep his feet, but he happily returned the hug, even as he laughed.

"Hey, none of that was my fault. I just did my best not to be thrown off my broom."

"Stop laughing!" Susan, letting go for a second, smacked his arm, before smiling despite herself. "You stupid idiot." Before she could say anything else, Luna stepped forward, giving the golden-eyed boy a short hug.

"Shadows are bad, Harry. They don't dance very well." Harry just shook his head. Even with his near-death experience, Luna was still Luna. Looking past her, the boy saw Hermione, looking nervous as she loitered near the periphery of the group.

"What, no hug from you?" Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice, before glancing his way with a look vaguely reminiscent of a deer caught in headlights.

"I-I wasn't sure if…" her voice trailed off, and the bushy haired witch glanced down, chewing her lip vigorously. Harry grinned, before stepping forwards and wrapping her in a warm hug, earning a loud squeak.

"You're a friend. You don't need to be unsure." He said, resting his chin on her shoulder. The girl, who had stiffened slightly, relaxed, tentatively returning the hug. Harry sighed. Hermione was still so nervous, as if she expected to be expelled from their little quartet at any moment. Right then, he resolved to do his absolute utmost to make sure the girl became comfortable with them all, as if she had been a part of the group all along. As he stepped back and gave her a small smile, however, he was interrupted by a gruff voice from behind him.

"Righ' ye are, Harry, an' good job at gettin' out o' that mess alive. I do have to ask, though, what exactly were you lot all scramblin' abou' for, talkin' abou' Professor Quirrell and all?" Harry whirled to take in the wide form of Hagrid, a smile splitting his face.

"Hagrid, you came! Did you enjoy the match."The bearded giant of a man smiled back, as far as the assembled could gather from the stretching beard that hid his mouth.

"Aye, it was a good game. You're jus' like your father on a broom. Ain' never seen another who coul' fly half so well. Tha' bit at the end though, summat like that can give anyone a heart attack."Harry, who had practically preened at the compliment to his flying skills, suddenly turned solemn at Hagrid's reminder of the incident that had nearly taken his life. It was only by sheer luck and a death-grip induced by fear that the boy wasn't currently a stain on the quidditch field.

"Yeah, Quirrell nearly got me good. Bastard must have it out for me or something." The casual comment, which Harry hadn't really expected to garner too much attention, having grown far too used to the concept that Quirrell was a potentially dangerous element in the otherwise exciting and as near to perfect as possible school, instantly had Hagrid frowning at the boy and his fellow students, who were each nodding in agreement.

"Language, Harry, yeh're far too young teh be talkin' like tha'. An' wha's this about Quirrel havin' it out for yeh?" Hagrid's response was a derisive snort as Harry turned a disbelieving eye towards the gentle giant.

"How else do you think my broom started jumping about as it did? The _man,_ " He spat the word out as if it burned his tongue, "was cursing me."

"Yeah, and it's not the first time he's tried to hurt Harry either." Susan added, with the other two girls nodding in agreement, albeit belatedly in Hermione's case. The young bookworm had tried to convince herself that what she had seen in that classroom was nothing, a figment of her imagination, before she met the others, and even then, she was apprehensive about accusing a teacher about such an atrocious crime. Now, however, the bushy-haired witch could do little to argue against the evidence that had been laid out during the match; Quirrell definitely had something against Harry, enough to curse Hermione's fellow Gryffindor's broom. Hagrid, however, didn't seem to agree.

"Nonsense, a teacher would never do something like tha'. This is Hogwarts, the safes' place in the world." Harry, for his part, merely raised an eyebrow at the man.

"Yeah, tell that to the giant dog and the troll." Hagrid's expression turned aghast at the mention of these incidents, before scrambling desperately to regain his footing.

"Now those were accidents, and… 'old on, how'd you know about Fluffy." Now it was Hermione's turn to speak up, disbelief written clear across her face.

"You named a cerberus _fluffy_?" Hagrid chuckled, nodding.

"Yeah, he's mine. Bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-" Suddenly, the large man stopped his speech, turning shrewd eyes towards the four students, three of whom were now looking very curious, while the other appeared to be watching a butterfly land on her nose, staring at it with her bronze eyes. "Now don' be asking me about tha', top secret stuff, that is." His warning tone did little to dampen their curiosity. In fact, it only served to cause their eyes to widen, and Hermione, ever the inquisitive one, couldn't stop herself from asking a desperate question.

"Guarding something? What are you talking about?" When Hagrid looked hesitant, muttering something under his breath, Harry stepped in, a sly smile crossing his face.

"Yes, Hagrid, do tell. It may explain why Quirrell keeps trying to bump me off." That didn't seem to be the right thing to say, because Hagrid's face suddenly turned ruddy as he pointed a thick finger at the students, lecturing them.

"Now quit tha', Quirrel's a teacher an' he wouldn't try to steal something from the school. Forget the dog, forget what he's guarding, that's between Dumbledore an' Nicholas Flamel-"

"Oh, so there's someone called Nicholas Flamel involved, is there?" Interrupted Susan, the name having caught her attention. There was something oddly familiar about the name, a faint echo of a memory, but it was enough to catch her attention. A moment later however, she almost regretted that fact, as Hagrid suddenly cut himself short, before mumbling all sorts of self-deprecating comments and storming off. Susan, after watching the giant of a man slowly grow smaller in the distance as he stalked towards the hut that resided on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, turned back to the rest of the impromptu interrogators, a bemused smile on her lips. She was matched by similar looks, even Luna looking away from her butterfly long enough to tilt her head curiously in the direction of the retreating Hagrid, and there was no need for words. All four children turned without hesitation and started to walk back to the castle, making a beeline for the library.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Christmas

When Harry went to bed the night of Christmas Eve, he hadn't been expecting anything special the next day, having never been able to celebrate the holiday properly before. Even if he had, however, the golden-eyed boy doubted it would've prepared him for the rude awakening he received that morning.

"Harry! Wake up, wake up!" Brought from his dreams by the odd sensation of something bouncing up and down on his bed, Harry sat up blearily, struggling to make sense of the confusing scene before him. Somehow, it seemed as if Susan had managed to find her way up to not only the Gryffindor common room, but all the way into his dorm, and was now jumping up and down on his bed with an expression oddly similar to an overexcited puppy.

"Susan? What are you doing here?" The girl, grinning widely, jumped off the bed and started to do an interesting little dance around it, singing her answer.

"It's Christmas, it's Christmas! Come on, get up!" Harry, shaking off the last of the lethargy, slowly complied, watching the hyper girl warily. Susan was never this energetic, even in the mornings. She was supposed to be the calm one of the group, so why the heck was she prancing around in his dorms with- was that a reindeer costume? What the heck was she doing wearing that?

"Um, Susan? What's going on? How did you get into my dorms?" The girl paused for a moment, glancing at Harry, before continuing to dance around, even as she spoke in a normal, if slightly breathless voice.

"Oh, Hermione let me into the common room, and showed me the way up here. Don't worry, everyone else is already up. They were excited for Christmas!" Oddly, the last word ended in a squeal, as Susan had now glanced at the pile of presents sitting at the foot of Harry's bed. The boy himself followed her line of sight, and gasped when he saw them there.

"I… have presents." He said faintly, not quite believing what he was seeing. Harry didn't get presents for Christmas, although he was aware other children normally received some. The fact that anyone would want to give him anything was a novel concept always meant cleaning and cooking in larger than usual amounts at the Dursley's, which was why he always slept in. Anything to avoid the extra work for as long as possible.

"Of course you have presents, silly! Why wouldn't you?" The brunette had stopped dancing entirely now, and was cocking her head at him in an oddly inquisitive fashion. Harry, caught off guard by the coal-black eyes now boring into him, glanced away, a blush climbing up his cheeks.

"Uh, i never really... celebrated Christmas before." He admitted, shame hushing his tone. He waited for a moment, a bit afraid to look back at his friend, but then there was a sudden pressure around his waist, and he glanced down to see the slightly smaller girl hugging him tightly.

"I'm- I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Stop, it's okay. I'm just not used to having friends, is all." Harry interrupted, hugging Susan back. After a few moments, they released each other, Susan pulling back to beam slightly at the golden-eyed boy.

"Alright then. It is now my mission to make sure you have the best Christmas ever." And that she did. First they went through his presents, a sense of euphoria filling him as he did so. There was a little wood-carved flute from Hagrid, a copy of Quidditch throughout the ages From Hermione, and an odd little lion plush presented to him by a fiercely blushing Susan. He had been blushing himself when forced to admit he hadn't gotten presents for her, or anyone really, not having thought of something like that. Still, he managed to get away from Susan's mock outrage by promising to rectify the mistake at the soonest possible time, and returned to the last of his presents. There was a fifty pence note from the Dursley's, which he ended up letting Susan keep as she was fascinated by the shape of the muggle money. Strangely, he got a sweater from one Mrs. Weasley, who Harry assumed to be Ron, Fred, and George's mother. He hadn't been expecting anything like that, since he'd cut things off with Ron after the troll incident, but he supposed it could be since he was on the Quidditch team with the twins. That just left two other presents, both of which seemed to lack the sender's names.

"'For a game well played, and a few good laughs.'" Harry read aloud the note attached to the first, which turned out to be a rather heavy looking jokebook.

"Who's that from?" asked Susan, who was eating a piece of fudge from the tin that had accompanied Mrs. Weasley's turned the note over, but there was no distinguishing marks, except for the fancy looking handwriting.

"I don't know, it hasn't got a name." Susan frowned at that, but Harry was too busy moving onto the next one, which looked like some sort of bundle of cloth. Tearing apart the wrapping paper, Harry gasped in surprise as a long, silvery piece of material fell out, catching the light as it did so. What caught his attention, however, wasn't the material itself, but the magic surrounding it. The sensation was… odd, really. He could tell there was something there, its power practically vibrating the cloth as he ran his hands over it, but… it was more an emptiness, than anything. Even as he handed it to a curious looking Susan, the sudden loss of sensation was palpable. Away from physical contact, he would never have suspected the odd cloak was anything more than a fancy piece of fabric, if he couldn't remember the sheer power in it. It had felt, old, like an endless pit of age and darkness. The young boy, as a similarly awestruck Susan passed the cloak back, wouldn't have been surprised if it contained more magic than the whole of Hogwarts. It certainly felt that way.

"I-I think it's an invisibility cloak. A very powerful invisibility cloak." Breathed Susan, breaking the silence that had fallen. Harry nodded slightly, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Then, in an effort to distract himself from the sensation of power, the raven-haired boy tossed the cloak over his head, curious as to what it wold feel like underneath the thing. He had read about invisibility cloaks, at some point or another, but even if he hadn't, the name would make it obvious what the thing was meant for.

As soon as the soft fabric settled over him, a sense of safety enveloped Harry. Somehow, he knew that not even one of his friends would be able to find him while he was wearing this cloak. The idea was collaborated when Susan spoke once again, her voice filled with awe. "You're… gone. I can't even feel you under there. It's almost like I'm in here by myself." Grinning, Harry pulled off the cloak making Susan squeak in surprise at the sudden reappearance of his magical signature..

"Okay, this is officially the best Christmas ever. I wonder who sent this?" Susan shrugged, picking up the card that had fallen out of the packaging with the cloak.

"No idea, doesn't have a name. Listen to this though; your father left this in my care when he passed, and I thought it high time to return it. Use it well." Harry stared at the paper in Susan's hands, wondering just who would have something from his father, and such a powerful magic object, as well. After a few moments, however, the boy just shrugged, pushing the thoughts aside. Not like it mattered very much.

"Ah, well. It's here now, and…" Suddenly, he shot a mischievous grin at the brunette girl. "I do believe you said you would be entertaining me today."Instead of making the girl blush, as he'd been hoping, she instead brightened into a sunny smile and quickly dragged Harry from the room, haphazardly throwing the cloak onto his bed. The next few hours became a whirlwind, filled with all sorts of fun and chaos. Susan and Hermione, who had stayed at Hogwarts when her original christmas plans were dashed by her parents catching a cold, each had their own christmas presents to unwrap, the former's having been mysteriously transported up to Gryffindor tower from the Hufflepuff dorms. Neither ended up with any powerful and ancient magical artifacts, but both girls did receive an unnamed present each, both carrying a short letter written in the same handwriting as the one accompanying Harry's new joke book(Which had already found extensive use that morning). Hermione's, a rather heavy looking book on the history of blood purity and its controversy in wizarding society, claimed it was for answering a question that has plagued wizards for generations. The note baffled Hermione, who had no idea as to what question it even spoke of. Susan, however, being the only one of the three who was familiar with wizarding customs, theorized it might be referring to the question of blood purity and the worth of Muggleborns itself. No one, though, had anything to offer for her own note, which simply stated for a helpful push, attached to a pair of very well made fur gloves.

After presents were interrupted by two sweater swapping Weasley twins, who proceeded to entertain the entire common room with being chased by their elder brother, Susan led Harry and hermione in some of the many Christmas wizarding traditions. Eventually, however, they were forced to go down to eat, where they met Luna, who immediately handed them an odd crystal ball on their arrival, along with yet another odd note; For being a breath of fresh air in a far too stuffy castle.  
"Who is this from?" Asked Harry, rolling the ball around in his hands. The silver haired girl simply offered him a mysterious smile in response as she took a bite of her breakfast.

"Someone who thinks themselves very clever, and for a very good reason." And that was all the two Gryffindors and one Hufflepuff could get out of her on the matter. Harry had a sneaking suspicion Luna knew exactly who had sent the presents, even without them telling her about what their own notes said, but she just didn't want to tell them. Harry supposed it likely didn't matter all that much. Whoever it was, he doubted they could be causing much trouble by sending actually useful gifts, even if Harry had doubts about what good a crystal ball could be. Knowing Luna, it might just be the key to the universe, or something.

The rest of the day passed similarly to the morning, with Harry being far too preoccupied having fun to think too hard on mysterious presents or their senders. Susan seemed to be taking her promise seriously, and by the time the boy and his friends had sat down for dinner, he was exhausted. He barely made it up the tower to collapse into his bed afterwards, his eyes falling asleep almost as soon as he hit the bed.

XXX

"Godric, calm down." A silver haired man, smiling in exasperation, walked alongside his friend.

"But Sal! We're going to be apprenticed to Merlin! One of the greatest wizards of the age!" The second speaker, a red haired boy in his late teens just as his companion was, whined, throwing his friend a pout. It didn't work.

"Yes, and with your antics, I have a hard time understanding why. No man who would wish to take you on as a student can possibly be sane." This earned the Sal man a hurt look, which only served to make him chuckle. "I jest, Godric. Still, you likely shouldn't be bouncing down the middle of the road, you could run into someone." The ginger instantly brightened, the hurt expression sliding off his face as if it had never been there at all.

"Sorry, I can't help it, I'm just so excit- Oof!" And, just as his companion had warned, the red-head had crashed into someone, sending both parties crashing to the ground. When he stood up, however, he discovered that it had not actually been someone he ran into, but two people. Two very attractive young ladies, in fact. Sal, already knowing exactly what was about to happen, could only groan in response as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, hello there ladies.I must apologize for bumping into you like that, but I was simply too blinded by your radiant beauty to watch where I was going." Yes, that was Godric, with his inanely cheesy pickup lines. This would most likely not end well, as evidenced by the two women now dusting themselves off after being helped up by the ginger. One, a startlingly soft-looking woman with hair the color of honey, was blushing so fiercely both men doubted there was any blood left anywhere else in her body. The other, a much more severe looking woman with-oddly enough- blue hair, was in contrast throwing a glare at the grinning redhead.

"Yes, well, do try to be more careful in the future. We wouldn't want your overly inflated head cracking open on the ground and spilling what little brains you may have." To his credit, Godric's smile didn't waver one bit, even as his companion was forced to bite back a harsh laugh at the scathing retort. Friend or not, that was a good one, and depending on the day, all too true.

"Row!" The blonde, her blush somehow becoming even more pronounced, scolded her friend, this time succeeding in earning a laugh from the silver-haired man. There was just something highly amusing to the sight of such an innocent looking woman scolding the much more serious one, especially with such a melodic voice. It was almost like a child telling off her own mother. Godric, however, just found it to be absolutely adorable.

"Yes, well, I suppose we should introduce ourselves." The blue haired woman opened her mouth as if to say no, but Godric plowed on regardless, ignoring her protests. "I'm Godric Gryffindor, and this is Salazar Slytherin. And what might be the names of you lovely ladies?" For a moment, Salazar thought the woman was going to rip his friends heart out to eat it, if the look was anything to go by, and his hand slowly started to stray towards where his wand was hidden within his sleeve. Godric had a tendency to piss people off, and long exposure to the man had taught Salazar to always be prepared for when curses started flying. Or arrows, if they happened to be in muggle territory. It wasn't needed however, with the woman finally giving up on her glare and answering reluctantly.

"Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, if you must know."

"Well then," Godric said, his grin growing wider as he suddenly threw his arms around two very surprised women. "I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship, don't you?"

XXX

Harry bolted awake, a deep buzzing energy coursing through his veins as he glanced around frantically. After a few moments of staring into the dark, waiting for Merlin only knew what, the boy's breathing finally started to become steady, and the blood rushing through his veins calmed down enough to let him think.

That was… weird. As soon as his mind was clear, Harry recalled the unusually vivid dream he had just experienced. The boy couldn't quite remember the names of the people in it, but their faces were clearly etched into his mind, as familiar to him as his own, at least before the odd changes that had overcome his body since coming to Hogwarts. They just seemed so vivid, and their interaction, for some reason, was remarkably nostalgic, as if he were calling upon a memory rather than a dream, but Harry knew better. Despite the clarity with which he could remember them, from their faces and body types to even their voices, Harry had never met those four people in his life. They had a certain gravity about them, a sense of meaning that the raven-haired boy would certainly have remembered if he had ever encountered it elsewhere.

Thinking this, however, had no effect on Harry, the boy remaining on edge. The buzzing of his veins had subsided, but it was still there, an odd tension building just underneath the surface. Soon, Harry's thoughts turned away from the dream to something that had, although shoved to the side, been nagging at him all throughout the previous day. The cloak, his father's cloak, was sitting in his trunk, moved there at some point during the festivities. He had this strange urge to get out of bed and go digging through his belongings for it. He needed to use it, to feel that familiar buzz of power and safety settling around him.

It wasn't long until Harry was cautiously stepping out of the common room porthole, cloak wrapped securely around him as he ignored the confused questions the Fat Lady asked to thin air. Harry had little idea as too where he was going, other than a desperate need to get out and explore. Use it well the note said. Harry wasn't sure exactly as to what was meant by that, but he did have half a mind to sneak into the forbidden section of the library in search of information on the ever elusive Nicholas Flamel. With it being night, and as Harry highly doubted anything could see through this cloak, it was the perfect time for such an activity.

With that thought Harry was off, his feet moving with purpose now that he had a destination. Soon, he was lightly pushing open the door to the library and stalking inside, trying his best to tread lightly. Sure, it was dark, but you never knew what was around the corner.

The many aging and decayed books on the shelves didn't tell Harry much. Most of their lettering, where it was present, were in languages the young boy did not know, and more than one tome Harry stayed far away from simply because of the creepy dark magic emanating from them. None of the other books in the library had ever actually radiated magic before, but he supposed that was why it was the forbidden section. After a while, Harry gave up, not really having been invested in the search anyways. In fact, it was almost like something else was pulling him away, some other goal or destination that required his attention.

This time, Harry didn't focus much on where he was going, even as he came within a few feet of running into Filch, the caretaker prowling through the halls with a nasty expression on his face, Shivering, the young boy slid past him and continued on his way, silently thanking whoever had sent him the cloak. Eventually, Harry found himself pushing open a heavy doorway, revealing a dusty and obviously unused classroom. Therein was where he found a sight that nearly took his breath away, and revealed the source of the strange pull he had been feeling since the moment he woke up.

Standing in the center of the room, with such majesty that even an eleven year old boy was gulping in its presence, was a beautifully carved and ornate mirror. There was a pulse of powerful magic, tantalizingly familiar despite Harry's failure to place it as he drew near. As soon as he was within a few feet of the odd object, the aching desire disappeared, or at least subsided to a point where Harry could ignore it if he warned. The golden-eyed boy didn't take that option, however, instead stepping the last bit to gaze directly into the mirror.

For a second, Harry saw himself, surrounded by a group of people who looked remarkably like him. There were several old people, each with kind smiles as they stared back at him, and each bearing a marked resemblance to at least one of his traits. The most amazing thing though, were the two people directly behind him, smiling proudly at Harry in a way that made his heart give an unexplained lurch. In that second he knew. This was his family.

He wasn't allowed to investigate, however, to drink in the sight he so desperately desired, to the point where his bones ached from the pain. A moment later, the image flickered, The smiles of Harry's family never wavering even as they dissipated into smoke, only to be replaced by another, even more surprising sight.

In the mirror, Harry had disappeared entirely. In his place were four people, two men and two women, whose faces had been burned into his mind not too long ago. It was the four from his dream, but they were behaving oddly. Unlike in the dream, the people no longer seemed to be strangers to each other, introduced for the first time. The blue-haired woman was still glaring at the redhead, but it was in a much more friendly manner, as if she didn't really mean it. This was accentuated by the fact that said ginger was laughing uproariously, his broad chest shaking with the silent movement. Behind them, the blonde was shaking her head in exasperation, a long-suffering smile on her lips. The silver-haired man, his wiry form far more relaxed than it had been in the dream, was leaning against the mirror frame, an amused smirk on his lips as he watched the antics of his companions.

As Harry watched the scene, he wondered why exactly this mirror was showing him it. Why give him such a tempting sight of his family, only to tear it away and replace it with these people he didn't know? Unable to answer the question himself, the young boy cast his eyes around, searching for some kind of clue. After a moment, they alighted on a script he hadn't noticed before, inscribed into the top of the mirror. For a moment, it appeared jumbled, odd, but then suddenly it was clear, and Harry was reading just fine.

I show not the truth, but your heart's desire. The raven-haired boy narrowed his eyes at that. It made no sense. If anything, he did want to see his family, even if it were an illusion, not some strangers his dreams had concocted. But then, scrutinizing the sight of the friends laughing together, Harry realized something. Several somethings, actually.

The first was that perhaps this was supposed to be a representation of something. The way the four people interacted, it was as if they were a family. While it may not be his own, Harry could not deny the sense of longing that pierced his heart as he watched their camraderie. Human contact, or any kind of kindness, really, had never been a part of his life before coming to Hogwarts, and that, perhaps even more than some long-lost connection to a group of dead people, was something he had always wished for. To be loved, to be a part of a greater whole, was the one thing Harry had been unequivocally denied at the Dursley's, and for the greater part of his life.

The second realization, and this was perhaps what made even the first actually important, was that the four strangers in the mirror looked oddly familiar, and not just from a dream. A closer look confirmed this fact, and Harry suddenly realized what he was seeing. Three of the four friends looked almost exactly like how he would imagine his own friends, if you counted Draco, would look once reaching a similar age, albeit with different hair colors. The silver haired man could've easily been Draco's father, and the blonde looked almost like how Harry thought Susan's mother would look, if the girl hadn't claimed her hair was supposed to be red. Even the blue-haired woman looked like a Luna who was lacking the loopiness unique to that particular girl. Actually, now that he thought about it, she looked frighteningly similar to the Ravenclaw on Halloween night, when she had that strangely serious look on her face. But the most frightening thing, however, was how similar he looked to the largest of the group, the broad shouldered man with that crimson red hair. Even looking closer, he could see the man bore the same golden eyes he now carried, and a quick glance confirmed that the others matched those of their counterparts in Harry's circle.

Harry's heart was suddenly clenched with fear. Who were these people, and why were they so similar to his friends and himself? Heck, even Draco was making an appearance, albeit changed, but for some reason Hermione wasn't there. That seemed odd, to his mind. If his brain had concocted up these characters, enough so that he could confuse a magical mirror to think this was his greatest desire, then where was Hermione? It didn't make sense, it couldn't make sense.

Shaking his head, Harry didn't even try to think about it. This was something he needed to think about, hard, and now was not the time to do so. Crouching down to pick up the cloak which had dropped to his feet at some point, Harry swiftly made for the door. Just before leaving, however, he paused, turning back for one last glance. Nothing happened, though, and then he was gone, a ghost lost in the stone depths of the castle.

XXX

And the plot thickens! Bum bum buuuuuuuuum!

…

Yeah, let's not do that again, shall we? Anyways, welcome back to the Founder's Circle. First off, I decided that doing the AN down here at the bottom was better after trying it out on one of my other stories, so chances are this will be happening more, since it just makes it easier to talk without being afraid of spoiling the chapter.

Speaking of which, how'd ya'll think it went? Honestly, most of it wrote itself, pretty much starting right after the cloak was unwrapped. I mean, I had a vague idea of what was going to happen here, but damn if it didn't just pop up out of nowhere and scream "WRITE ME!"

Yeah, anyways, so let's go over the chapter a bit, see if I can't get a few preliminary strikes on some questions you might have. First of all, mirror. Now, i know a lot of people are probably going to be screaming at me that the whole Heart's desire bit was supposed to be backwards and jumbled. I realize this, and in fact if you pay attention, I actually did mention that. At first the writing was jumbled, but then it sorted itself out for Harry. Why? Well, that has a lot to do with the overall theme behind the story, and something I've been hinting at all along, so spoilers. Don't worry, it will all be revealed by the end of book one, and Harry isn't just suddenly capable of walking through magical illusions. There was a very specific reason as to why this one didn't work on him.(To be fair, it wouldn't have worked on the rest of the Circle either) It also explains the whole being called to the mirror, so there is that as well.

Now for the cloak and the gifts. Well, s you can see, the cloak is essentially the same, i just gave it a bit more character, courtesy of Harry and co.'s awesome sensing skills. Although, i will probably be having it protect against a few things it didn't, like Moody's eye. That one just made no sense to me whatsoever. Aside from that though, we have the rather mysterious presents, with their interesting notes. Now, if any of you paid attention and were actually thinking, it should be fairly obvious who sent them, but I still think I'll let you all guess in the review section. Just for some fun.

Also, before I forget, the whole thing with Susan being in the Gryffindor's boys dorms. Yes, Hermione let her up there, seeing no harm in it since they're eleven, so get your minds out of the gutter. And yes, i made Hermione stay at Hogwarts for the holidays expressly for that reason, so sue me. Also, with the way I've made her reaction to being made part of the group, since it's larger than just two idiot boys who really needed a woman to set them straight, it made a bit more sense for her to stay and build that relationship. Actually, it made no sense for her to just disappear over the christmas break right after making friends with Ron and Harry in canon either, so there's that.

Alright, so, with randomosity and finally starting to get a bit more away from canon, here we are with the next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed and don't forget to review! TTFN!(If you guess where that is from, you get a virtual cookie!)


	13. Chapter Twelve: In the Face of Fear

Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he watched his fellow student wander around with a semi-terrified look on his face. What was a Gryffindor doing in the dungeons so late at night? And Neville Longbottom, no less.

"Longbottom, what are you doing down here?" The pudgy boy, who had already appeared wary even before Draco spoke in his usual drawl, jumped at the sudden question. Draco was forced to hide a smile at the sight, instead adopting a slight frown which was far more fitting for the situation. Longbottom, who was now looking like he might scurry at the slightest movement, turned slowly to Draco before squeaking out an answer.

"I-I was just coming back from detention." Draco's frown twisted even further as he regarded his fellow first year. There was only one teacher whose offices were located in the dungeons, and with the Gryffindor's current demeanor…

"Snape?" Longbottom appeared confused by the question, but still nodded in acquiescence, his expression of terror growing even more pronounced as the boy glanced around, like the mere mention of his name would bring the Slytherin head of house down upon them. "That seems to happen a lot, doesn't it?" Draco mused aloud, not really meaning for the other by to answer. While Draco respected his godfather, the man did seem to be unreasonably harsh on Gryffindors, and Longbottom in particular. He seemed to take a perverse pleasure in terrifying children, or at least those who weren't within his own house.

"Yeah, i mess up a lot in class. I'm horrible at potions." The gryffindor's terror seemed to subside a bit at his own admission, being replaced with a look of shame as he hung his head. Again, Draco frowned down at him, a sudden thought crossing his mind.

"Why is that, do you think?" Longbottom appeared to be surprised by the question, his head shooting up to give Draco a questioning look. It wasn't unexpected, really. He'd done his duty in ascertaining the reason for Longbottom's presence in the dungeons, so there was no particular reason for continuing the conversation, especially since they were both in different houses. Already, Draco was mentally beating himself for letting his mouth run and getting him stuck in a conversation he didn't particularly want or need, but social conventions, not to mention the fact that they were both from Pureblood houses, demanded he continue. Perhaps, if he was careful, he may be able to create some sort of beneficial connection to the Longbottom heir that he could use at a later time.

"Well, you're good herbology yeah? So you probably know all the different properties of most of our ingredients, and I'd reckon you would do well in Care of Magical Creatures as well. I've noticed how good you seem to be with animals on the grounds." Already the larger boy was flushing brightly with this praise, but Draco ignored that, continuing. "So if you're so could working with the things while they're alive, how hard can it be when they're dead?" Okay, so maybe that wasn't particularly the best argument, but it _was_ something Draco had been wondering about fo a while. Neville was really good with plants and animals, and seemed to know all sorts of things about the various magical substances that could be found at Hogwarts, so why couldn't he simply apply that to Potions?

"I, er, don't know. Yeah, i do know what all the ingredients are and all, and what they're used for, but for some reason whenever Snape's around i just sort of… forget, you know. He's just so… creepy, that i'm too terrified to really think about what I'm doing." Draco nodded at this, remembering the many times that the boy had destroyed both potions and the cauldrons holding them through an act of sheer clumsiness. Most of them did seem to occur whenever the Potions Master was nearby. Thinking back though, he noticed something about the few Herbology classes that the first year Hufflepuff and Slytherins had shared.

"What about in Herbology? You never even seemed to notice Professor Sprout, and just did your own thing." Longbottom paused, seeming to think for a moment.

"Well, I just sort of… tune her out, you know. Follow my instincts, it always seems to work better." Draco nodded, a spark of inspiration appearing in his eyes. Somehow, he had suddenly become invested in this problem and a thought had occurred that might just let him solve it.

" Why don't you do that for Potions?" At Longbottom's confused look, Draco went on, elaborating his rather simple, yet brilliant idea. "Look, next time you're in Potions, don't think about Professor Snape, or how he might be breathing down your neck. He's quiet enough that if you don't bother looking at him, you could probably forget he was there at all. Just focus on your your potion and… follow your instincts, I guess. It couldn't hurt, really."

"But, he's so terrifying!" The boy whimpered, his fear starting to mount again.

"You're a Gryffindor, right? The house of the brave, and all that. So be brave."

"But i'm always afraid. I don't think i deserve to be in Gryffindor." Draco let out a frustrated sigh, one hand reaching up to pinch his nose.

"Bravery doesn't mean not being afraid." Longbottom paused, a curious look crossing his face.

"What do you mean?" Draco sighed again, shaking his head.

"Bravery, true bravery, is not a lack of fear, but acting in the face of it. Think about it, if you weren't afraid of something, what sort of accomplishment would it be to face it anyways? Nothing, since there's nothing stopping you if you don't fear for something."

For a moment, Longbottom just gaped at him, a sort of incredulous look on his , slowly, it slid into a thoughtful pose, one Draco hadn't been entirely certain the boy could wear outside of a greenhouse.

"Yeah, I guess it wouldn't hurt. I mean, what's the worst that could happen, I blow up another potion?" Draco was surprised to find himself laughing at the joke. It was true enough, and the somewhat jovial tone in Longbottom's voice was quite amusing, but he was more worried about the sheer fact that he was _laughing._ With a Gryffindor, no less. Still, Draco couldn't find it in himself to stop, taking several moments to recollect himself, albeit with a smile still playing about his lips.

"I suppose you're right at that. Now go on, before any other snakes come along to find a little lion cub in their nest. Most of them wouldn't hesitate to bite." Oddly, the other boy didn't drop his smile at the thought, despite the fact that he was normally terrified of most Slytherin's, as could be evidenced by his previous fear when Draco originally stopped him.

"I guess. Before I go though, I want to say thanks. I'll try to use your advice." With a stately nod that looked very out of place on his babyish face, Longbottom turned and left, presumably moving towards Gryffindor tower. Draco watched him go quietly, an odd sensation he couldn't quite describe lumping in his throat. In that moment, although Draco wasn't aware of it at the time, he had somehow made his first friend.

XXX

Neville Longbottom drew in a deep breath as he glanced around the cold dungeon, watching his classmates start to brew the potion they were working on that day. It had only been a few days since his unexpected conversation with Malfoy, but already his confidence in the advice he had received was starting to waver. Sure, at the time it had seemed like a good idea, and even possible to pull off, but now, as he noticed Snape glaring at him from the corner of his eye, the Gryffindor was starting to wonder if perhaps he had been a fool to entertain the notion that he might be able to do good at Potions.

 _No, you mustn't think like that,_ came a tiny voice in his head. Then, the words of Malfoy started to play in his head. _Bravery is acting in the face of fear._ At the memory, Neville's resolve suddenly hardened, and he turned back to his cauldron with a determined face. If Malfoy, a Slytherin, could understand courage, then so could he. Closing his eyes, Neville took a moment to muster up every last ounce of courage he could, digging deep within himself. A moment later, they snapped open, burning with certainty, and he moved forward.

As he worked, neville allowed himself to slip into the sort of fugue state he normally adopted in Herbology, tuning out the world. Every time Snape came near, or another of his classmates made some sort of disruption, he pushed it away, continuing to focus solely on his potion. He was in no mood to be distracted.

And then he was done. It came so suddenly, Neville barely even realized he was reaching into his cauldron until he was holding a vial filled with a liquid that was almost the exact shade of the example potion sitting on Snape's desk. The boy was so surprised by the sudden appearance of a complete potion that he nearly dropped the thing, having to jump forward and land on his stomach to catch it just barely an inch above the ground.

"Mr. Longbottom, I do not believe the recipe calls for any idiotic displays of amateurish acrobatics to be performed in front of your cauldron. Get up." At the greasy-haired professor's favored drawl, Neville quickly scrambled up to a standing position, just barely having the presence of mind not to accidentally smash the vial of potion in his hands.

"Sorry Professor, i was trying to keep my potion from breaking." Neville tried, but all he recieved was Snape's trademark nasty sneer.

"Potion? What are your talking about? You- where'd you get that?" The sudden shift in questioning appeared to have attracted the attention of the rest of the class, and there was the sound of a few cracks, as everyone's heads whipped around to watch the face-off. As he looked at the faces all around, Neville's stomach suddenly did a little flop.

"I-I made it sir."Neville tried not to quail under the glare that the Potions Master was sending his way, but it was too much, and his answer had come out in a , perhaps luckily, didn't seem to notice.

"Oh? And who was it you cheated off of to get this result?" There was a chorus of gasps around the room, and not all of them came from the side with red-trimmed robes. Neville was well known for his blatant honest and hard-working nature, almost as much so as Snape's blatant favoritism. Accusing him of cheating was like declaring the sky was green. Neville, for his own part, took a deep breath. Here it was, the final test for his newfound courage. If he could face Snape, just once, then he could do it again, and now would be the best time. He knew he was in the right here, and even if it wasn't for his new-found Gryffindor courage that allowed him to shoot his eyes up and meet the coal-black orbs of Snape, then justice would have stood him well in its place.

"No one sir. I made it all by myself." Neville's voice was surprisingly strong and clear as he spoke, even to himself, and Snape seemed taken aback by it. Never before had Neville even looked the man in the eye, let alone actually talked back to him, and it slowly reached out to take the vial, pulling it close to examine it. As he did so, however, he was interrupted by yet another voice.

"He's right, Professor. I was with him the whole time, and he didn't even answer me when I called for him. I was actually afraid he'd gone a bit deaf from too many exploded potions." Neville turned to look at who was defending him, and was forced to hold in a gasp when he finally saw. Golden eyes, sparkling with mischief, were focused on Snape, who had also glanced up from his examination of the rotund boy couldn't quite believe his eyes and ears, because there was no way that Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was defending him, even with his propensity for annoying this particular Professor. It just wasn't possible.

"Yes, well. Since I can not _prove_ that you cheated to create this position, I suppose I will have no choice to accept it. Who knows, it may even scrape a passing grade." Came Snape's eventual reply, before the giant bat swirled around and stalked off to his desk, leaving half the class to gape in disbelief at his passing, the other half to do so in awe, only directed towards Neville instead. Those had been perhaps the most civil words Snape had ever said to him, or even a Gryffindor in particular, and to hear them directed at _Neville,_ whose constant mishaps and failures in Potions class were legendary, was beyond comprehension for most. There was one other student, however, whose mouth wasn't hanging open. Draco, from his lone table on the far side of the room, was instead throwing Neville a smug smirk, which was understandable, really. It was his advice that allowed such a fiasco, after all.

XXX

Luna, who was currently walking through the dungeons with a dreamy smile on her face, paused at a rather curious sight.

"Ooh, Neville, there you are. I've been looking for you." Neville, who had previously been slumped against a wall outside of the Potions class where he had finally collapsed after escaping, glanced up at the odd girl looking down at him.

"Oh, hi Luna. What are you doing here?" Luna's smile widened just a bit.

"Oh, I was just going to class, but the usual way was filled with Nargles. Still, I think it was for the best."Neville, ignoring the Nargles comment for a moment, answered with a wry grin, too emotionally drained at the moment ot offer anything else..

"Oh, why?" It was actually rather comforting to talk to the girl. As soon as neville had escaped the dungeon, and Snape's oversight, he had nearly collapsed entirely, his nerves finally catching up to him. It had been so terrifying, looking the Professor in the eye and standing up to him. The boy had spoken with far more confidence than he truly possessed, but by some miracle it had had actually turned in a decent potion.

"Oh, I was just supposed to give you something, but I'm going to need the card back. Cardboard isn't as good for your soul as chocolate." Neville, drawn out of his thoughts once again by the dreamy voice, glanced up, only to see the blonde offering him what appeared to be a chocolate toad. Reaching out slowly, he took the offered sweet, all the while wondering why the hell she was giving him chocolate. A glance at her bronze eyes, however, revealed nothing, so with a shrug, the boy surrendered any curiosity he had and unwrapped the chocolate. After the first bite, a warmth he hadn't noticed he was missing returned to his bones, and suddenly he wasn't all that worried anymore about any consequences that may come about from his actions in the classroom.

"Thanks, Luna, this is really good." She nodded, the smile that still hadn't left her face widening.

"Yes, a birdy told me that chocolate was good for the soul. I'm glad I could help. Could you give me the card, though? Harry's going to need it soon." Neville frowned at the comment about Harry, but decided not to respond. It wasn't really any of his deal.

"Uh, sure, I guess. I don't really collect them either way."

"I know." Again, Neville refused to comment on the eccentricity of the blond, but as she walked away, card in hand and humming an odd tujne quietly, Neville couldn't help but wonder that if she knew that random fact as she claimed, what other sorts of things might she know? After a few moments of contemplation, however, Neville shook the thoughts away. It didn't really matter, and right now he had to get to his next class.

XXX

Harry glanced up in annoyance to see Luna bouncing through the library towards him, Susan, and Hermione. It was about time she showed up.

"There you are Luna. You're a bit late." Luna, not looking even the least bit repentant,l reached the table and dropped down, her usual dreamy smile stretched across her face.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I was just having a rather important nap, and lost track of time." The entire table looked at the girl dubiously, but she didn't react, instead pulling out a sheaf of parchment and starting to doodle.

"Did you say you had an important nap, Luna?" The blonde nodded, not taking her eyes off the doodle.

"Yes, I was talking to a nice bird. He told me to give you this." Luna's hand disappeared into her bag for a moment, before reappearing holding a rather curious card. It was somewhat familiar to Harry, so he reached out and grabbed it from her hands, meeting no resistance as he did so. Just as he suspected, it was a chocolate frog card, the first one he had ever received, in fact. There was even a little Dumbledore sitting in the portrait, that rather annoying looking sparkle in his eyes.

"Okay… would you care to fill us in on what this is for?"

"Turn it around." Harry, still feeling uncertain, did as she asked. There were the normal bits of information there, but nothing else that he could see. A moment later, however, he let out a gasp, nearly dropping the card.

" _Nicholas Flamel!_ " The effect of those two words was stunning. Susan, who had been in the midst of writing a Charms essay, veered her quill across the parchment, drawing a great huge line across her work. Hermione, who was performing the action of turning a page in a very heavy tome, jerked as well, nearly tearing out the page in the process. Luna… kept being Luna.

"What did you say?" Hermione was the first to respond, after taking a moment to ensure the book in her hands wasn't too badly damaged for a quick repairo. Harry grinned back, handing over the card in his hands wordlessly. A moment later, She squeaked and jumped up, running off and leaving everyone else in the dust.

"What was that all about?" Asked Susan, earning an exasperated smile from Harry.

"I believe she's run off to find a book of some sort, likely in her dorm rooms. We'll have to wait a while." His prediction turned out to be somewhat true, for it was nearly twenty minutes later when a breathless Hermione reappeared in front of them, an absolutely _massive_ book underneath one arm, which she slammed down onto the desk.

"I knew I'd seen the name before! Merlin, I'm so stupid." Harry, frowning slightly, reached up and pat the girl on the head, earning a deep blush.

"Stop that, Hermione, you're not stupid. A bit scatterbrained at times, sure, but never stupid. In fact, you're one of the smartest witches I know." This earned him a smack from Susan, and a shouted "Hey!" but he just tossed the other brunette a lopsided grin. "I did say _one of,_ didn't I?"This seemed to pacify Susan somewhat, but the Hufflepuff retained a mock glower as she crossed her arms. After this, Hermione, who seemed to have regathered herself, cleared her throat.

"Yes, well, be that as it may, I still can't believe I didn't think of looking in here before. I checked it out weeks ago, for a bit of light reading." Harry raised an eyebrow at the girl, before glancing back down at the monstrous tome.

"I can see that." His dry tone earned him yet another smack, from Hermione this time, but it was lacking in effectiveness due to the heavy blush that had consumed her cheeks.

Anyways," The bushy haired witch continued, opening the book and flipping through to a certain page. "Here, read this." Harry quickly grabbed the book and complied, speaking the words as he went.

"The ancient study of Alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There have been many reports of the Philosopher's stone over the centuries, but the only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife Penelope (Six hundred and fifty eight)." The entire group was silent for a few moments after he finished, mulling over what they had just heard and read.

"That's what's under the trapdoor. It's a Philosopher's stone." Whispered Susan, in an awed voice. She had heard of Flamel, being a pureblood, but only in passing. Her aunt had never cared for the whole thing, only mentioning it when she mused over how certain laws might apply to one with such a long lifespan.

"Not just _a_ Philosopher's stone, but _the_ Stone, from the sound of it." Susan nodded, but still a frown curled her lips.

"Okay, sure, but why? Why put such a thing in a castle full of students, and who are they guarding it from, anyways?" They all took another moment to think, contemplating the question, before Hermione finally spoke up.

"Maybe it has something to do with Quirrell." Instantly, every head snapped towards her, even the previously preoccupied Luna. "Well, it makes sense, doesn't it? If you're right, and he's got that… _thing_ in him, maybe it's killing him. That's why he would want the stone, to cure himself." The other three nodded along, but Harry still saw something that didn't quite fit with her answer.

"Sure, I can see that, but why does he keep attacking me? I'm not really important to the Stone."

"Yes, but you _are_ Harry Potter, the boy who lived. The whole wizarding world looks up to you. If you're in trouble, it would draw people's attention away from the Stone." Harry was forced to agree with that logic. It did make sense.

"Alright, so what are we going to do about it?" Harry looked around the group, hoping for an answer, but all he got was blank looks, until Susan shook her head.

"Well, there's not very much we can do about it, is there? I guess we just keep an eye out, both for the Stone and you." Harry tried not to look too disappointed with the lack of action in that plan, but it was difficult. Luckily, he was distracted by the sight of something far more welcoming than a psychotic teacher out to kill him.

"Hagrid! What are you doing here?" The large man, who seemed to be perusing the shelves, oddly enough, startled at the sudden call, turning quickly and hiding something behind his back.

"Oh, Harry! What are yeh lot doing here?" Hagrid parroted, a somewhat terrified look crossing what little of his face was visible.

"We're just doing homework. What about you?" Well, technically it was self-assigned homework, but still. It counted. Hagrid, however, seemed to have barely heard him, glancing around frantically.

"Yeah, tha's nice, but, er, I can't really stay ter chat, and all. Places ter be, you know." Harry didn't even have a chance to call out a question before the large man scampered off like a giant rabbit, moving surprisingly quickly for his girth. Harry frowned and turned back to his friends, who were still staring in confusion at the path Hagrid had taken.

"Huh, wonder what that's all about."Susan and Luna turned to look at him dazedly, likely wondering the same thing, but hermione seemed to shake off the confusion first, rising to go over to the section of books Hagrid had been going through.

"Weird, these are all a bunch of books on dragons, like how to take care of them and raise them. You don't think-?" Her question was cut off by Harry shaking his head vigorously.

"Nah, even Hagrid wouldn't be that insane. Right?" The knowing looks were all the answer needed to tell him just how wrong he was.

XXX

 **Yay, and that's another chapter done. Nearly on time, too, if I remember correctly. Yeah, I know, I'm awesome.**

 **Alright, down to business. Now, I'm sure most of you are wondering what's with Neville being good at potions, and why there was only a short showing of the current main four. Well, i suppose I should answer the latter first, since it's easier, Essentially, we haven't really had much of a chance to see what's been going on with other characters recently, so i thought I'd give them a bit of a chance to shine, especially Draco. I don't think I've even given him a perspective before, except his sorting and that short bit where he pranked Nott. As such, i figured I could give him some love, and even Neville got a bit of a spotlight.**

 **And that brings me to the former question. Alright, to be honest, i never really understood Rowling's portrayal of neville as being utterly useless at Potions whil being so BAMF at Herbology and even Care of Magical Creatures. I mean, if he knows all the properties of all the ingredients, he should be at least semi decent, even with Snape terrorizing him. Thus, here he is, actually being a good Potioneer, as long as he ignores Snape. Now don't worry, he won't just suddenly turn into an awesome Potions Master, but he does at least have a chance. In my eyes, he's somewhat of a natural, his skill just needs to be nurtured.**

 **So, that's that. I think Im going to start letting you guys try to ask more question, rather than preemptively answering them, so I'll leave it there. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to Review!**


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Forbidden Forest

"Hagrid, you are insane."the half-giant Gamekeeper blushed at the words, but didn't take his eyes off the smooth black egg sitting on his table.

"'S alright, Harry, I know wha' I'm doin'."

"So you admit that you are currently trying to illegally hatch a fire-breathing dragon in your _wooden_ hut, on the grounds of a _bloody school!_ " Harry huffed where he stood, having expended al his breath as he berated Hagrid in a rant of steadily growing volume. Hagrid, for his part, just waved a meaty hand at the first-year, still not looking up from his egg.

Don' worry, I've read all o' the books- oh, I heard a crack!" There was indeed a crack forming on the surface of the egg, a thin white line breaking its smooth black polish. A moment later, the tiny fault line was joined by another, then another, until the entire stone-like surface was covered by a web of breaks. Then, with one final crack, and a small chirp from the depths of the egg, it exploded, sending pieces flying everywhere.

What emerged from the burnt and broken shards of egg could only be described as a dragon. It was long and very obviously reptilian, its serpentine body covered in tiny black scales, most of which were currently covered in some sort of sticky substance that the creature eagerly set about cleaning off itself. Unfurling slowly as it wriggled its way out of the remains of the egg that had held it were two leathery, bat-like wings that nearly encompassed its entire body length each. The creature also had a few tiny horns adorning its head, along with a couple of fangs just barely pushing out from underneath its gums.

"Aw, innit adorable?" Cooed Hagrid, stretching out a hand to the dragon. Harry, who had been slightly awestruck himself, smirked slightly when it nipped the large man's fingers, drawing a pained yelp from Hagrid.

"Aw, look .'E knows his mommy!"This was accentuated by the dragon going a step further than mere biting, and actually set Hagrid's beard on fire. Susan, Luna, and Hermione, who had been sipping their tea while waiting for the dragon to hatch, all yelped in surprise and jumped up, quickly setting about extinguishing the fire with a surprising efficiency. Harry, however, was too busy laughing his ass off to help.

"Yeah, he sure knows his- oh bollocks." The reason for the student's sudden turn in mood was apparent, as the reptilian newborn had decided to wrap itself around Harry's neck, causing him to freeze with fear. "Um, guys? A little help here?" The three girls looked over from Hagrid towards Harry, who was now apparently having his cheek nuzzled by the dragonling.

"Oh dear, it appears to like you, Harry." Said Susan, a soft smile gracing her lips. The boy really did look cute there, with a dragon stretched lazily across his shoulders, puffing a cloud of smoke into his ears. Said boy, however, didn't appear to appreciate the image he made, and was glaring up at his friend.

"I noticed. Think you could get it _off_?"Sadly for the Gryffindor, rescue didn't appear to be coming any time soon. All three girls burst into giggles from the sight of his glare, which had only enhanced his cute factor. Although, that may have had something to do with the dragon, which had decided his hair made a good meal, and was now trying to eat slapped at it, but with little effect. Finally, he was forced to reach up carefully, lifting the surprisingly light animal from his shoulders and setting it on the table. As he did so, Hagrid, who appeared to have finally rescued his beard, ambled over, picking up the dragon in his own oversized arms.

"Bit o' a cuddler, ain't he? I think I'll name him Norbert." Harry gaped at the half-giant as he wrestled to keep the dragon from jumping back to Harry, which it appeared to have developed an attachment to. Hagrid had _named_ the thing? Now they would never get rid of it.

XXX

Apparently never was actually only a few short weeks away. Granted, they were dragon-filled and most of the time, Harry and the girls were worried sick that their friend would be discovered, but eventually, Harry had remembered a half-forgotten conversation with Ron about his older brother Charlie, who worked with dragons, from before the prat had broken off his and Harry's friendship. Granted, Harry doubted the other boy would be willing to help them, but luckily Ron wasn't the only Weasley in the castle at the conversation with a pair of troublesome twins, who seemed to believe that sneaking an illegal dragon out of the school under the staff's noses was a grand prank, later, their plan was set.

It was simple enough, really. Harry, Susan, and Luna would smuggle the dragon in a crate up to the astronomy tower under the Invisibility Cloak while Hermione warded off suspicion by staying in the Gryffindor Tower. The whole thing went perfectly too. Or so they thought.

"Aha, and what do we have here?" All three of the students out of bed froze, afraid that turning around would make it real. It was in that moment, as Harry attempted to come up with some way to vehemently deny their wrongdoing, that he realized just how exactly Filch had managed to see them. In their joy at finally being rid of Norbert, they had forgotten the bloody invisibility cloak at the top of the tower!

XXX

Harry shivered in the cold night air as he watched for the swinging lantern which he knew would be hanging from Hagrid's overlarge fist. Once again disappointed as the light failed to appear from the depths of the forbidden forest, the first year turned away from the foreboding trees, opting to instead observe his companions.

Susan and Luna were with him of course, struggling to maintain some form of heat in the cold scottish night. They, just as him, had been saddled with this detention for their late night wanderings, as McGonagall had called it in her ire. That, however, was not nearly as devastating as the blow of fifty lost points from each of their houses, which had earned all three of them ostracization from all but Hermione and the Slytherins, who praised their good luck and thanked the three for securing them victory in the house running. Their bushy-haired friend, on the other hand, was distraught, since Mcgonagall had not allowed her to join in their punishment. The bookish young girl begging and pleading for a detention had been such a surprising sight that nearly the entirety of the Gryffindor common room had been struck speechless for an entire hour, except for one quietly laughing Harry, of course. That had earned him a painful lump on the head later, but he didn't regret a thing.

None of that, however, was what had Harry raising an eyebrow in confusion as the three students had been led down to Hagrid's hut for their punishment by an uncommonly gleeful Filch. No, what really bothered him was the fact that they weren't going to be alone in their endeavor.

"So, Malfoy. What's got you disregarding you daily quota of beauty sleep? Surely you don't enjoy my company _that_ much." Harry said, sending a wry grin to the 'Slytherin Prince'. The other boy's aloof nature had earned him several posh titles around the school's voracious rumor mill, but that one was Harry's particular favorite. It just seemed to fit him nicely.

"Of course not, Potter. I merely thought I would witness you and your friends get eaten by the monsters in the Forbidden forest." Draco shot back, his face expressionless except for a tiny tugging at his lips.

"Well I hope you can get a refund on your ticket, because i don't plan on getting eaten."

"Oh? And how will you manage that? I doubt your stunty self can outrun a werewolf." Harry's grin turned sly, and he nodded towards the forest.

"I don't have to be faster than the monsters. I just have to be faster than you." Draco raised an eyebrow, before drawling a response.

"Of course, however could I be so dull?" Harry's eyes narrowed, and his smile turned into a frown. Fine, if the guy wanted to be a prat, he didn't need to talk to him anyways. Besides, he could see Hagrid's light coming now.

"A'right there, children?" Harry smiled at the familiar rumbling of his oldest friend's voice, the comfortable bass bringing him a warmth that easily warded off the cold air. The large man was dressed in his normal attire, but surprisingly, or perhaps not considering their destination,there was a large crossbow swinging in his free hand, and the large boarhound Fang was bounding about at his side.

"Hello there, Hagrid. We're fine, except being a bit chilled." Responded Susan, earning a wide bearded grin from the large man.

"Sorry 'bout that, had a bit o' things to take care of at me home. Now, let's be off, shall we?" With a round of chorusing assents, the group of five-if you counted hagrid as only one person, that is- and a dog did just that, marching towards the dark forest with all the determination of justified eleven year olds.

Harry didn't know what to expect from the forbidden forest when he entered it, not having been in the castle to have heard too many stories of what exactly resided underneath those dark canopies, but if there was anything he was truly surprised by, it was the magic. The young Gryffindor knew exactly the moment he stepped beyond the bounds of Hogwarts wards, and no matter how hard he tried couldn't possibly stifle the shudder that ran through him at their loss. Another step forward, however, he was brought to a stuttering halt entirely, as were the three other students around him, each gasping at the new sensations.

The sound of fey laughter danced through the air as power, ancient and tasting of dust and rain, pulsed through Harry's veins, Darkness surrounded him, the night air bearing a chill that shook him to the bones, yet there was warmth as well, like a fire burning brightly in his mind as he felt the life-force of the forest itself. Magic, that ethereal and ineffable energy, swirled around him, and as he marveled at it, he could hear words of ages long past, and feel the ancient bones of spells long spent, fused with the soul of the forest. So much had happened here, he could feel, events which had made the entire world shiver with their weight. It felt almost a crime to as Harry took another tentative step forward, deep into a place where history had been born, and powers capable of reducing Hogwarts itself to naught but a pile of dusty rubble had been spent.

The air hummed with memories of battles long past, raging balls of fire and vast swathes of ice imposing themselves over his mind's older than the castle flitted through him and his memory, only to evaporate into nothingness once more, but what did stick with him was an undeniable sense of _home._ Even more than the castle, this place felt familiar, as something ancient and primal awoke within him as he breathed in the magic infused air. For some reason, he felt the need to run deep among the ancient oaks, and lose himself in a wild dance, throwing away all thought and memory as he rejoiced at the feeling within.

"It's… beautiful," The breathy words cut through his thoughts like a knife through hot butter, yanking Harry back to the present, and he turned to the side, meeting familiar black eyes. "Do you feel it, Harry? So much power…" Susan trailed off as she looked back to the forest, and but Harry still nodded, his throat suddenly dry. Gods, what had he been about to do? Even now, he could still hear that strange, ringing laughter, coercing him from conscious thought, but with a herculean effort, Harry pushed the sound away. There was nothing magic about it, he could tell; even in the vast and varied magics filling the air around him, he retained enough sense to realize they were all just echoes of whatever spells may have been cast here before, but the laughter _had_ tugged at a part of him he never knew he was something strange about this forest, to be sure, and glancing around at his fellow students, Harry guessed he wasn't the only one to notice.

With a swift motion, Harry grasped the hands of both Susan and Luna, pulling the girls close before they could go running off to the forest. Draco, luckily, seemed to have worked his way through whatever it was as well, shaking his head before casting a curious eye towards the Gryffindor and his two friends, who were struggling in his grasp. After a few seconds, the two ladies's eyes cleared, and they stopped fighting against Harry, their eyes widening as they looked at the golden-eyed boy.

"Harry? What-what was that?" Susan whispered, horror clear in her , as well, looked faint, but she cut Harry off before he could answer.

"Old magic. This is where it began, and where it will end." The girl's eyes sharpened, and she looked back out into the forest as both Harry and Susan looked at her in surprise, and even Draco raised an eyebrow. "This forest is the sight of battles beyond even our measure, and the weaving of spells the likes of which can never be reproduced." As Luna stared at the forest, an odd gleam in her eye, Harry once again got the sense that there wasn't something quite right with her, as he had on Halloween, and that there was something far older and more powerful than an eleven-year-old girl standing in front of him, her hand in his.

Unbidden, Harry's eyes followed Luna's to look into the depths of the forest, and the magic surrounding him sharpened, as every cell of his body was suddenly thrown into a state of hypersensitivity. Underneath the dark boughs of trees, something moved, and the raven-haired boy drew in a sharp gasp. It came slowly, like a heavy fog, but still it came, and as the form slowly took shape, fear started to creep into Harry's veins.

There wasn't much to be said about the thing, whatever it was, at least in physical form. It was little more than a shadow, surprisingly wearing a very solid cloak, which slid and rasped over the ground like a snake's underbelly, scraping quietly. Magically, however, it was terrifying, and Harry had to fight the urge to run screaming as it drew near. The thing was like ice, so very cold that the boy's mind started to grow numb from the feel of it. It was hollow too, a deep pit of darkness from which nothing escaped, and the four students who could feel it shuddered as they imagined it sucking the very life from them.

When the creature drew within twenty feet of them, Harry was suddenly shocked out of his study of it by the sound of a sudden _twang,_ and a crossbow bolt striking deep into the folds of the robe. The deadly blow did nothing to halt it's progress, however, and the creature continued to move forward even as Hagrid, who Harry realized with a start had shot the thing, cursed and quickly set about reloading his weapon. Harry knew that would do nothing against whatever this was, obviously, but before the boy could do much more than tighten his grip on Susan and Luna beside him, it was upon them. With a flap of it's cloak, harry felt _something_ crash into his chest, and suddenly he was sent flying, the girls's hands torn from his grasp.

Harry hit the ground hard, a burst of pain assaulting his back as the impact went straight through his school robes. The boy was no stranger to pain, however, and with a grunt, he pushed himself back up, stumbling slightly as his vision swam at the sudden movement. Once it cleared, he looked back to where he had been a moment before, his eyes going wide at the sight. Susan and Luna ad both been thrown aside, and he watched with horror as Hagrid, bless the half-giant's soul, jumped at the cloaked best, only to be tossed aside just as easily as the children.

AS adrenaline poured into his veins, Harry's eyes darted frantically around the small area just outside the forest's treeline, wondering what on earth was going on. Was this some part of the detention? Why was there some… _thing,_ and why was it attacking them? His questions were wiped away a second later, however, as Harry's eyes narrowed onto the scene. No, this was no test, or punishment. Hagrid had told them on the way from his cabin that there was a creature stalking Unicorn's in the forest, and for some reason, he had a feeling this thing was it. He couldn't explain it, but somehow Harry knew that this thing was responsible for such an evil atrocity, and as the scent of dead leaves drifted through the air towards him, he knew that they must stop it, before it decided that they were to be its next meal.

 _But how?_ Harry thought, his pulse pounding as the creature turned towards him. Just as he was wondering whether he should try to turn and run or just dodge out of the creature's path, something caught his eye. Behind it stood Draco, his blonde hair glinting in the firelight from Hagrid's hastily dropped lamp, and with a wand in his hands. Their eyes met, and with a flash of understanding, Harry tensed his muscles, slipping his own wand out of its resting place within his robe sleeve. Even as the creature started moving towards him, crossing the considerable space it had thrown him previously, Harry grinned.

What came next, none of the observers or participants ever quite remembered clearly, but the feel of it, at least, was branded deeply into their memory. A sudden clarity came to Harry's mind, and suddenly it seemed as if he were more observer than controller within his body, thoughts and actions disconnected from each other was a rush of power that left his wand arm tingling, and just as the creature came within reaching distance, a bright crimson light burst from his wand, throwing it back with a shriek that rent the air. It didn't land, however; just before the creature could touch the ground, an emerald green sheet appeared beneath it, richer and deeper than the grass it covered, and the monster crashed into the sheet, which Harry recognized later as pure energy, wrapped around the being atop it, imprisoning it entirely, with a wave Harry recognized as more instinctive than anything, Draco sent the now-ball of energy flying, to slam harshly against a nearby tree. The action, however, broke the ball of energy, and before Harry could take more than a few steps towards the boy who had conjured it, the creature rose, looking only slightly dazed as its featureless hood glared balefully at them.

As Harry moved to stand beside Draco with his wand ready, Susan and Luna had just managed to pick themselves up off the ground, and before he knew it, they were both there as well, eyes glittering with an otherworldly light that Harry was certain both his own and Draco's shared. For a moment, the four students stood there, and Harry shivered as a sudden, foreign feeling descended over him. There was something about the moment that just felt so right, like the final piece of a puzzle falling into place, that brought a wide, feral grin to his lips, one matched by each of the three standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Yes, they were from different houses, doomed at the start of the year to be ever divided, but each of them knew, within their heart of hearts, that regardless of what color they wore on their robes, or which common room they retreated to at night, standing together like this, side by side as a creature of darkness threatened their school, was _right._ This was how things should always be.

With a roar that shook the trees, the creature moved forward, charging at the united quartet, each holding their wands at the ready. The air around them hummed, and by instinct, all four flicked their wrists, sending streams of light out the ends of their wands. The four streams collided, and with a bright flash, merged. The creature, looking like darkness incarnate, crashed into the wall that formed between it and them, the magical construct glowing with swirling lights of gold, crimson, emerald, and sapphire. As they watched, the beast was picked up, the barrier twisting into a ball similar to the one Draco had summoned before, but thicker, and tossed through the air, flying deep into the depths of the forest.

XXX

Hermione was utterly surprised when Harry stumbled through the porthole into the Gryffindor common room, his hair full of dirt his glasses askew. She rushed from the comfortable armchair by the fire she had been waiting for him in, and squeaked in surprise as he collapsed into her arms.

"Harry, what on earth happened to you?" She asked, struggling not to let the boy fall to the floor. Merlin, he was heavy! Annoyingly, the boy didn't answer immediately, only grunting and pushing her away. Hermione watched aghast as the boy rose slowly and limped to fall into the very chair she had just vacated, a soft moan escaping his lips as he sunk deep into the warm chair.

"Oh, that feels good. I'm just gonna… stay here for a minute." Hermione frowned down at him, her hands on her hips. What on earth could've happened to make him so dirty and tired? He had even come back from his detention early, so it couldn't be that; could it?

"HArry, what's wrong. What happened to you?" At the sound of her voice, Harry's eyes, which he had closed in comfortable bliss as he soaked in the heat and comfort of the Gryffindor common room, cracked open to look at her, their exotic golden color startling against his dark lashes. For a moment, he eyed her,and Hermione's temper rose with his silence. Just as she was about to yell at him, however, he spoke.

"Detention, Hermione. Bloody detention."

XXX

 **(Slowly creaks open door to nuclear bunker, peeking out slightly) Um… hi? (Ducks as barrage of rotten food slams into door, splattering every where) Yeah, Imma just let you guys get that out of your system for a bit… (Tomato paints hair gooey red) Yeah, I deserved that.**

 **Anyways, I'm back! (Grins weakly) yeah, okay, I know that doesn't make you feel any better. I know, it's been two months since I updated this story, and a bit less but still quite a while for everything else, but I have an excuse!**

 **...Okay, I don't have an excuse. To be completely honest, this chapter just didn't want to work. Hell, I'm still not completely happy with it, but that's life, i guess. IT's decent enough, and I really don't want to risk this story sliding into Hiatus like my other stories. So, here it is, in all its semi-mediocre glory, at least by my standards. As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don't be afraid to Review or PM me. I'm always open to conversing with my readers about my stories, and actually quite enjoy it. So with that, I shall let you all go, and I thank you for your patience.**

 **(Ducks Banana) Alright, now that's a bit far!**


	15. Chapter Fourteen: The Plot Thickens

"It is done. The seal is complete." Harry blinked as he searched his surroundings, confusion furrowing his brow. He was in a tower of some sort, looking out over the ramparts onto the grounds of Hogwarts. He blinked and jumped back in surprise, however, as he realized who was standing beside him. Tall, broad-shouldered, and with a thick mane of blazing red hair, Godric Gryffindor scrutinized the very same view with golden eyes that struck Harry with an odd sense of familiarity. The young boy opened his mouth, though whether to scream, shout, or simply babble awed nonsense he wasn't sure. The words were cut off, however, when another voice from the original, feminine one which had brought him to consciousness, turning his attention to the rest of the group.

"Good. the bastard has finally been put out of our misery." Once again, Harry found himself gaping at the people before beside Godric, a very different man leaned back against the railing, his harshly aristocratic features twisted in a vicious caricature of a smile. Venomous green eyes glinted underneath long silver bangs, and Harry shivered in the cool breeze that set his long ponytail to swaying. Even in his mid-thirties as he appeared to be, Salazar Slytherin carried the same deadly aura that had adorned each and every one of his pictures scattered throughout history books and the castle.

"It is not permanent, Salazar. You know that as well as I." Harry's eyes flickered to the side at yet another new voice, before widening. Rowena Ravenclaw stood there in all her stately glory, with dark blue hair and hard bronze eyes, not flinching in the slightest as Slytherin frowned at her.

"Of course not," The green-eyed man said tone brittle. "But now Helga doesn't have to worry about holding the monster down anymore. And by the time he ever gets out, we four will be long dead." Harry, now thoroughly shell-shocked, could only stare as Slytherin gestured to the woman who had first spoken. Honey blonde and giving a tired smile that brought an amazing warmth to her dark eyes, she was perhaps the most beautiful woman the boy had ever seen, even more-so than Rowena. The quiet strength she gave off as well, despite being so obviously tired, sent an odd pang through his heart. He wondered if his own mother would have seemed like that, had she lived.

"Sal, you know that we have to keep watch over it. Anything could happen in the next hundred years or more. And we'll have to train someone to take over." Harry frowned, coincidentally in tandem with the head of the House of Snakes, as he realiksed something. This was a dream. Obviously, of course, considering there was no logical way he could be standing beside the Founders of Hogwarts otherwise, but still. They weren't reacting to him in anyway, and that somehow made Harry uncomfortable as he intruded on what was apparently a very meaningful conversation. There was a strange tension to the air as they talked, like soldiers just come back from war. THe boy had met a few, as he wandered the streets of Little Whinging in search of a reprieve from the Dursley's. It wasn't quite the edge of battle he himself had experienced earlier that night by the forest's edge, but close, as if they hadn't quite realised the battle was won, and they were still ready for anything.

"Yes, I'm sure you do." Slytherin's droll statement broke through Harry's thoughts, and the boy hurried to move as it's owner pushed himself up to a fully standing position. "I could care less, however." Harry wasn't sure what it was, but suddenly the entire room shifted. No one moved overtly, but in an instant, each of the other three founders seemed almost to snap to attention, and the air buzzed with magic. A slight breeze stirred, ruffling the hair of all five of the tower's occupants, even as the stones beneath their feet seemed to groan and shift slightly, and the temperature rose several degrees with a quiet crackle. There was even the faint sound of waves crashing against a distant shore, and Slytherin met each of his fellow Founders' gazes squarely.

"What are you saying, Salazar?" Asked Gryffindor, and Harry shivered as he listened to the low growl the man's voice had become. He was completely out of his depth here, despite it being a dream. The ravenette could feel the power pulsing around him, and it terrified him. THe feeling didn't lessen any when the man being questioned laughed, a cold, hard sound that set Harry's teeth on edge.

"I'm leaving, Godric." He said finally after his mirth died away. "And I'm not coming back."

"Now?" All eyes shifted to Hufflepuff, who bore a stricken expression. "After all we've been through? After all we've done?" Harry felt a surge of pity as he looked at the woman. She sounded so… broken. It made him want to run up to her and give her a great big hug, but the boy wasn''t sure if he could even touch anything in the dream, let alone whether they would feel it. SLytherin, however, seemed to lack such compunctions, turning a withering glare on her.

"Yes, Helga, now. I can't stay here anymore, and I'm done." He turned to leave, making for the stairs that Harry instinctively knew would lead back to the rest of the castle, but before he could, Ravenclaw stepped in the way. Her gaze calculating as she stared at him with narrowed eyes, but somehow carried a depth of kindness that took Harry's breath away.

"This is about the curse, isn't it?"She asked, somehow keeping her voice even. Slytherin's glare sharpened, but he didn't answer, only shaking his head once.

"Whatever. I don't need the stairs." before he could do anything else, however, the silver-haired man suddenly found his arm locked in an iron grip by Gryffindor, the larger man frowning thoroughly.

"Sal, we told you we would help with that. You don't have to run." Slytherin let out a disgusted snort, shaking his head again.

"You have no idea… of course not. Do you even know how close I came to shooting a curse at your back, Godric? Or slitting Helga's throat, or even gutting Rowena? I could've killed anyone of you, at any moment, and I only just stopped myself. And you wanna know what the funny thing is? The only thing that kept me from slaughtering each and every one of you was the fact that I was too busy trying to fight Him." Harry gaped as all three of the other founders recoiled at their colleague's words, and their speaker stopped to take a deep breath. What on earth was he talking about? "So no, Godric. I'm not going to stay, and I'm not going to allow myself to hope, and then watch it die as I slaughter the only people who have ever shown me kindness in their sleep."' Harry, still reeling from the previous rant, nearly missed as the man's green eyes finally softened, barely more than a flicker, before hardening again. "Goodbye, all of you." WIth that, Slytherin tore his arm out of Gryffindor's grasp with a violent jerk, before twisting on the spot and vanishing with a near silent pop. For a moment. There was silence. Then, just as Harry's brain was struggling to figure out what just happened, the remaining occupants of the tower seemed to acknowledge him for the first time. Gryffindor turned to him, Golden eyes blazing like fire as they bore into Harry.

"Bring him back," He said, in a voice rolling like thunder. "The final cycle has begun, and you must have a full circle. Bring him back, and keep him back, or you will all die." Then, with as little warning as it started, the dream faded, leaving Harry to descend into darkness.

XXX

Harry Potter jerked awake, gasping at the blazing pain in his chest. He writhed under his covers, desperate to get the things off, and in his struggling failed to notice as the room around him pulsed with his magic. With a quiet ripping noise, the sheets and blankets were torn asunder and thrown aside as Harry rose, gasping desperately as he pressed a cold hand against his chest, which had become a viciously bright spot of pain and heat on his skin. When the sensation didn't fade after several long seconds, the boy desperately scrambled to tear his short off as well, before jumping up and running to the bathroom. There, in one of the mirrors, he finally found the source of his pain.

The great red lion etched into his skin, nearly forgotten in the hectic months of school, had somehow become even more vivid. The color deepened nder it was a dark violet, lines became more crisp and defined, its eye glaring at him with anger. It was a warning, and a command. In an instant, harry returned to his bed, but did not try to slip back under the ruined covers. INstead, he slid the discarded shirt back on, before kneeling and pulling a familiar bundl of silvery cloth out from under his bed, discarding the tag clinging to it. He had no idea how it was there, considering the last time the ravenette had seen his cloak, it was at the top of the Astronomy Tower. A wash of crimson magic disintegrated the tiny blips of magic clinging to it, once unnoticeable but now glowing in Harry's magic sight like stars. The ravenette then shrugged the garment on, and set off into the night.

After only a short pause of debating whether or not to wake Hermione, then deciding against it as some unknown instinct warned him not to try entering the girl's dormitory, Harry soon found himself wandering aimlessly through the halls. Or at least, it seemed aimless, yet he knew exactly where he was going. Somehow, it didn't surprise the boy as his feet carried him nearer and nearer to Quirrell's office. He was surprised however, when he suddenly bumped into something, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Ow, watch where you're- wait, where are you?" Harry stared. Of all the people in the castle to bump into wandering the halls at night, Pansy Parkinson was perhaps the least expected. Even moreso when she appeared to have tears in her eyes, and a torn and shredded letter in her hands. What in Merlin's name was she doing out here? Stalking Draco again, maybe?Harry didn't have a chance to think too much on it, however, as a sudden instinct pulled at his mind. WIthout thinking, the boy grabbed Parkinson's arm and pulled her into a nearby alcove, before throwing his cloak over her. "Potter, what-mglf!"

"Shh." HArry whispered, pressing a hand into the girl's mouth to shut her up. It was a good thing too, for at that very moment, out in the corridor Professor Quirrell swept by with a speed and confidence neither student had ever seen from the man watched silently as he paused beside the alcove, and for a moment, Harry felt panic clutch his heart, before the man reached over… and opened the door to his office. Still, he did not release the breath he was holding, or remove his hand from Parkinson's mouth, who was now staring at him with wide eyes.

"Master…" Harry froze as he heard Quirrell speak. "What do we do now?" Unsurprisingly, only silence answered the Professor. Just as Harry was about to write him off as insane, however-an easy task considering the number of times the man had attempted to kill him- there came a hissing sound, so quiet the two students in the hall almost couldn't make out the words.

"Nothing." Answered the voice that rustled like dead leaves and sent shivers down Harry's spine. "The children did not recognize us, and they are too well protected. Al that is necessary is to speed up our plans to the Stone."

"But master-"

"No!" Quirrel's protest was cut off by another hiss, louder this time. "There is more at work here than you know, and we already have all that we need. Tomorrow night, we claim our prize, and Lord Voldemort rises again!" Harry drew in a sharp gasp- as he heard the whispered name, and beside him PArkinson released a nearly silent whimper. They were quiet, almost indiscernible even in the folds of the cloak, but it was enough. There was a shuffling from inside the room, and a second later Quirrell's head poked out of the doorway. Harry, although he knew the man couldn't see him, drew himself and the girl beside him deeper into the alcove, stepping into several long seconds in which his blood seemed to buzz with energy, ready to run at the first opportunity, Harry was finally allowed to relax when the false Professor frowned and drew back his head, closing the door behind him. For several long seconds the raven-haired boy strained his ears, listening, but there was only , he turned to his hiding companion only to stop in surprise.

Harry had never paid much attention to the Slytherin girl before. Now, he found himself wondering why. She was quite pretty, he realized, with delicate, almost fragile-looking elfin features, pale pink lips that were open in a quiet oh, icy green eyes that stared at him widely, and silky dark hair falling like soft shadows around her shoulders. For a short second, Harry felt the urge to… do something. He wasn't' quite sure what, but didn't take the time to think about it. Instead, he lowered his hand from her mouth, only to grasp her arm. The girl stumbled as he pulled her along out into the corridor and away from the dangerous office, but luckily the door seemed to protect them as Quirrell failed to come investigate.

"Potter, stop." Pansy finally said as they were several corridors away, wrenching her arm out of the golden-eyed boy's grasp. He obliged, turning around to face her.

"We shouldn't linger." He said tightly, glancing around nervously. He had had far too many close calls and failures wandering at night to relax, even with the cloak on.

"You're probably right." Harry jerked at her answer, before staring at the girl with wide eyes.A Slytherin telling a Gryffindor they're right? He could hardly believe it. "But first you're going to tell me exactly what's going on, and what I just heard." It took a second for Harry to comprehend what she was talking about, still caught up trying to believe her last sentence, but when his brain finally did connect, his features hardened, before slipping into a smirk.

"I should think that was obvious." He stated, golden eyes burning as he looked at her challengingly. He didn't know why, but there was something about the way she looked at him, a surprising amount of determination in her eyes, that sparked against his will. She thought he would just hand over all his secrets? Ridiculous.

"I heard well enough thank you." Parkinson finally answered, glaring at him as she contemplated stepping on the boy's foot. She had little experience with the Gryffindor-it was always Draco hanging around them, if anyone, but most of the first years were well-acquainted with his caustic brand of sarcasm. It was hard not to be, when he had outdueled Professor Snape in their very first Potion's class. Normally Pansy found it quite amusing, though she would never dare admit it to anyone. Now however, with it aimed at her, the challenging tone only served to flare her temper. "Quirrell's obviously an insane bat who thinks he can resurrect the Dark Lord or something. What I wanna know is how you are involved, what this Stone is, and why, by Salazar's beard, do you have an invisibility cloak?" Harry, caught off guard by the sudden storm of questions, stared at the Slytherin for a long second. Damn, she caught on quickly. Even the Stone, which Quirrell had barely mentioned caught her attention.

"Er… it's sort of a family heirloom." He finally managed to answer lamely, unwilling to mention anything else. Harry felt tempted to tell her the rest, if only to see her reaction, but something stopped him. Harry and his friends were stuck in this mess already, what with Quirrell trying to kill Harry and them interfering, not to mention whatever it was that had happened earlier that night-Dear Merlin it really had just been a few hours since, hadn't it?- but there was no way he was going to involve an innocent in this.

"Right," Parkinson said caustically, giving him a droll stare. "Because that is totally the most important of those questions."Harry almost flinched at the causticness of her tone, but stopped himself, instead meeting her determined glare with one of his own.

"Whether it is or not, that's all you're getting. The rest is none of your business."

"The hell it isn't!" Parkinson shot back, one hand twitching towards her wand. Harry, however, was faster, and he grabbed her hand, gripping it tightly.

"OH?" He asked, a wicked smirk crawling onto his face. He knew exactly how to make her leave well enough alone. "Are you going to tell me about that letter you had then? I think i saw tears in your eyes when we bumped into each other." Pany fell back a step, gaping at the boy.

How dare he! She thought, shock and fear warring within her as she met his hard gaze. That was private business, and he knew it. Finally, the young Slytherin settled for giving him a scathing glare, before turning away haughtily. "Whatever. It's not like I really care." She said, biting her tongue against the lie. She was actually quite curious, almost insatiably so, but if that was how he wanted to play it, then fine. She could do without for now.

Harry watched as the girl lifted the cloak and slipped out from under ti, before flouncing down the corridors and away from him. He had to fight the urge to stop her and apologize. He had seen the pain in her eyes when he mentioned that letter, and it had filled him with guilt. Obviously, it hadn't been a simple love rejection like he had thought. Still, what was done was done, and with a sigh, he turned away, back towards the Gryffindor Tower. It had been a long night, and he needed sleep.

XXX

It's aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!

Okay, I think you get the message. Yes, your eyes are not decieving you. THis really is a Foudner's Circle update after what has it been, six months or so. I swear, this story is not dead, or even on Hiatus. I've just been… distracted. You know, by stuff. Anywho…

NOw, then, I don't believe I actually have anything to say at the moment. You can all feel free to leave any sort of Review you like, as usual, and I will see you all later!


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